In the Shadows
by FairyTaleLover6
Summary: Princess Charlotte of Corona always wanted a sister, so she was thrilled when her baby sister Rapunzel entered her life. It devastated her when her little sister was kidnapped. Now, eighteen years later, Rapunzel is back with a "repentent" Flynn Rider in tow. And it turns out being a sister is tougher than she imagined. For the Tangled Big Bang Challenge
1. Prologue

**In the Shadows**

_Prologue_

Princess Charlotte of Corona had always wanted a sister. It was the only thing she wanted as a little girl: not a pony, or more dolls, or books or toys. Just a sister.

So when her parents Queen Guinevere and King Ostwalt, told her when she was two (and a half, she would always add) that she'd be blessed with a little brother or sister, she was ecstatic. It didn't matter that they told her often that it could be boy, she knew it was a girl, and she'd finally have a sister.

It'd be wonderful. They'd play dolls, laugh together, share secrets….be best friends. The months of her mother's pregnancy seemed to go all too slowly for her, and it felt like an eternity had passed before Mama's due date neared. However, one week before, she got sick. _Really_ sick. And everyone in her family (including her) prayed for a miracle.

Unbelievably enough, a miracle actually happened, in the form of the famed magic glowing flower. Mama grew well and she gave birth to a healthy baby- a little girl.

At last, Lottie had her sister, a wide green-eyed, blonde haired beautiful sister named Rapunzel. And everything in her world was perfect.

Yet the funny thing about perfection, (and something she learned at a very young age) was that perfection never lasted. It hadn't in the case of her sister. One night, about three months after Rapunzel's birth, some old hag snuck into the castle and stole her sweet sister away. Of course, her parents sent their guards to find Rapunzel but it was no use. She'd vanished.

Lottie was devastated when she heard the news, and spent lots of her time telling God that she'd be the best girl in the entire world, and she'd never ask for anything ever again, if he'd only give her sister back.

But her persistent prayers didn't seem to work. No one could ever find any trace of her baby sister anywhere, or the old woman who'd taken her. In one split second, Charlotte's sister was gone.

Her parents tried to make her feel better (and themselves too) by saying that it'd be okay, that they could maybe have another baby. But as the years passed, all of them knew it was highly unlikely that they would or that Rapunzel would return.

Yet they didn't give up hope. Each year they'd send up flying lanterns into the air, hoping that Rapunzel would see them and come back.

And reunite their family at last.


	2. Reunion

_**Chapter 1-Reunion**_

_**Eighteen Years Later**_

Princess Charlotte always thought she must be the biggest liar in the entire realm of Corona. It's not like she set out to become that way, but the truth was just…so hard to tell people. She couldn't tell the nobles that she secretly couldn't stand them, she couldn't say no when she wanted to, and she couldn't tell her parents that she often thought that her sister Rapunzel wouldn't ever come back. Sometimes, she thought she was gone forever.

But she could never_ ever_ say that to Mama and Papa or explain that she grew sick of hoping that Rapunzel would return. And she never did. Every year, Lottie had to pretend to be hopeful, and act like she enjoyed the party.

But it was the day after the famed Lost Princess Festival now and she knew exactly what would happen today. In about two minutes, Mama would come to her room, like she did every year when Rapunzel didn't return. Papa usually would not. He never did. Unlike Mama, he suffered his grief in silence and instead of crying with Lottie like Mama, he shut himself up in his study and brooded in peace. Lottie knew better than to bother him. It was one of her many princess rules: Do not disturb Papa when he's in his study. One year she had tried to comfort him like he did with Mama, and it hadn't worked out so well. He hadn't yelled at her of course (her father _never_ yelled, not even at pompous council member Lord Howard who _always _deserved it), but his quiet request for her to go felt just as bad. After that day, she and Mama always let Papa be by himself.

Lottie stared at her needlework, trying to pay attention to the flower she was stitching. It didn't work and she fiddled with a lock of her dark brown hair. How could she focus on embroidery when it was the anniversary of her sister's disappearance?

She couldn't. Instead her thoughts traveled backward, through the years since Rapunzel had vanished.

It hadn't been easy to grow up with a sister who'd been kidnapped. Everyone always said that her sister was the princess who'd been lost-and that was true.

But her sister hadn't been the only thing that had been lost that day. The three of them had lost some of their security too, and her parents had been much more cautious with her than they would have if Rapunzel hadn't disappeared. They always made sure someone was with Lottie nearly all the time, even when she was in her room just reading. And she never ewas able to go out in the city without a guard. It had irritated her to no end as a teenager, and there were a couple years there when she'd even had a personal bodyguard.

Fortunately, she managed to convince them last year that it wasn't necessary. Yet they still had to know where she was, and what she was doing nearly every minute of the day. They always wanted her to stay close to home, and she'd never even been out of Corona. If she was honest, it was rather smothering. But she still had a close relationship with her parents- a _good _relationship. The loss of her sister had only brought them closer together. But part of her yearned to experience life outside of her palace.

At the sound of footsteps, Lottie jerked out of her reverie and sighed. She knew it'd be Mama, and she knew she'd be in tears, just like she was every single day after the Lantern Festival and Rapunzel still hadn't come back. Of course, Lottie would do her best to comfort her.

Suddenly Mama burst in with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Lottie-…."

She immediately stood up and hugged Mama, patting her back soothingly. "It's all right, Mama," she said in her calmest voice. "There's always next year. I'm sure-…" She said the same things every year, and every year she hoped they'd be true. Yet they never were. It was enough to throw her headfirst into hidden depression for a few days afterward, and she wondered how her parents kept their hopes up after year after disappointing year.

Mama pulled away and looked at her, "No, Lottie," she said with a smile. "I'm so happy!"

She blinked slowly in confusion. Mama was….happy? "What?"

"It's Rapunzel!" Mama told her. "She's back!"

She stared at her mother in disbelief. "She's…back?" After all these years, those days of waiting and hoping? Her sister was…back?

"Yes!" Mama exclaimed. "She is! Come on, Lottie! She's out on the balcony with your Papa." Mama immediately started for the door, and all Lottie could do was follow her in stunned surprise.

Could it really be true?

XxXxXxXx

When Lottie reached the balcony, her gaze immediately rested on the young lady with short (very short!) and slightly messy brown hair. Her heart sank. Didn't her sister have blonde hair? Maybe her mother was mistaken, and this wasn't really Rapunzel. There was a man standing next to the young woman but she didn't focus much on him. He could be anybody, really, and it wouldn't have made much difference to her. Her eyes were only for the girl. She was about to say Rapunzel's name, but suddenly the girl turned around and she could see her eyes- her huge emerald green eyes.

Rapunzel. Those were Rapunzel's eyes, their mother's eyes.

It really was her! Before she could even think of something to say, Rapunzel's arms were around her in an embrace. She returned the hug enthusiastically. Her sister was back!

All too soon, Rapunzel pulled away and looked at her. "Lottie!"

She felt tears pricking her eyes. "Rapunzel! I've missed you so much!"

She and her sister stood staring at each other, with happy smiles on their faces. Suddenly she heard a throat clear behind her. She looked over to see the young man grinning at her. She glanced back at her sister and her cheeks were turning red. And she would have had to be dumb not to realize there was something between the two of them. Lucky. The familiar ache in her chest to have the love of a man surfaced once again, but she shoved it down. This moment wasn't about her.

"Lottie, this is…um…," Rapunzel said with red cheeks. "This is Eugene. He brought me home"

Eugene indeed. As she studied him closer, his brown eyes and hair, he resembled Corona's most wanted thief, Flynn Rider, more than a little. But she wasn't stupid and she knew when to keep a still tongue in her head. There would be plenty of time to talk with her parents later about it. She gave a little curtsy. "Eu_-gene_," she said with a warmth she did not feel. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Ha. Now that was a lie if she'd ever told one. Usually she told half-truths to please people sometimes or to make them feel better (and she tried not to think about how a half-truth was really a half-lie) But this one? Complete lie. Not even a trace of truth to be found anywhere in it Why she would _want _to meet the man who stole her sister's crown and broke her parents' hearts she couldn't even begin to imagine. Yet being a princess meant being an actress and, after twenty years, she was pretty good at it. If there was an award for being the most dependable princess, she'd have won it.

"Eugene" took her hand and kissed it. "Pleasure is mine, Princess Charlotte," he said with a suave smirk.

Her toes curled up within her slippers in repulsion. Honestly. But at least he'd called her by her title. If he'd just called her Lottie, she didn't know if she could have refrained herself from taking her shoe to his head. She knew that now she could say something like you may call me Charlotte or Lottie, but she wasn't going to. Anger rose up at her at his nerve at showing up here, and a million retorts popped into her mind. But she knew full well she wouldn't say any of them.

Just then Mama and Papa said something about a maid showing them to their rooms _(their_ rooms?) and they'd see them at dinner. As soon as a beaming Rapunzel and Rider left, she looked at her parents, readying herself for battle. "Are you really going to allow that horrible thief to stay here?" she said in a rare expression of defiance.

Her parents exchanged looks and after a moment, Papa cleared his throat and spoke. "Lottie, he brought Rapunzel home…."

"And that somehow cancels out his years of crime?" she retorted.

"Of course not," Mama soothed. "But we still want to give him a chance." She glanced at Papa with a smile, then looked back at Lottie. "I think he's in love with her."

She snorted. "Flynn in love with someone? Really?" _Do I look like an idiot? _The idea of Flynn actually loving someone made her want to laugh. She'd always thought of him as incredibly selfish. Only a selfish person would have stolen Rapunzel's crown, one of the only thing for years that her parents had left of her.

"Please, Lottie," she said. "Act friendly toward him at dinner tonight. For your sister's sake."

Dinner with Rider? Ugh. She'd rather walk across a bed of hot coals than eat with him. But Mama always did know what to say to get her to cave and she was certain she'd do as Mama asked. She always did. A heavy sigh escaped her. "Oh fine," she with a huff. "I'll be nice."

Of course, she had a feeling that would be difficult.

XxXxXxXx

Yet she had underestimated how difficult it would be when Rider was placed across from her at dinner, seated next Rapunzel, and all she wanted to do was jab her fork in his eye. It wasn't as if he'd done something particularly wrong, but she still couldn't help but be furious at his presence after everything he'd done.

But Rapunzel looked perfectly happy and she couldn't bring herself to burst her bubble just because she had apparently atrocious taste in men. All her etiquette lessons came to her mind, and she finally thought of something agreeable to say. "So," she said, using her best kind princess voice. "How did you meet, um…." _Did she have to call him Eugene? _

Luckily for her, Rapunzel giggled, and answered for her. "Eugene?"

Eugene, her foot. "Yes," she said. "How did you two meet?"

They both exchanged glances. Probably deciding what story to use, she thought. "We met in her tower," he answered and Rapunzel nodded.

"A tower, you say? And was that before or after you stole the crown?" she asked. Hopefully her slight jab would go over Rapunzel's head.

It did, because the smile remained on her face. Rider, on the other hand, cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, which meant that he hadn't missed it. Good.

"It was after," he said in a low voice.

She looked at him levelly. "I see," she said meaningfully. He coughed again discretely, and looked her straight in the eyes. She supposed that he wanted her to change the subject. In fact, his eyes almost begged her to. She would, but this wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

XxXxXxXx

After dinner, Lottie returned to her room after saying good-night to both Rapunzel and Rider. Almost immediately, Rapunzel had jumped up and hugged her. "Lottie," she'd said. "I hope you have a wonderful night's sleep with many pleasant dreams. I can't wait to see you again in the morning."

She smiled at the memory as she pulled on her nightgown. She already knew that she loved having Rapunzel here. She was probably the sweetest girl she'd ever met, and she was her sister! She moved over to her vanity and started combing her hair. She frowned thoughtfully. Yes, it was wonderful having Rapunzel back. But she wasn't entirely sure how happy she was to see Rider with her. She didn't think she liked him very much. In all honesty, she didn't think she quite trusted him either.

She decided that wasn't completely accurate. She didn't trust him at all, and she was surprised that her parents did. At least they appeared to, but maybe they were just so grateful that he'd brought her home that they weren't even thinking about his past thefts. She winced as she hit a snarl in her hair. Well, her parents and Rapunzel might be glad Rider was here, but she sure wasn't. The likelihood was that he was up to something or he'd bolt and leave her sister with a broken heart.

And how could she let that happen?

XxXxXxXx

Eugene and Rapunzel left the King and Queen not too long after Princess Charlotte did. He noticed that Rapunzel looked like she was growing tired, so he'd politely excused them and was now walking her to her room. He looked over at her, only to see a smile on her face. He loved her smile. It was like a golden ray of sunshine. Just like everything else about her.

"Wasn't that a lovely dinner, Eugene?" she said happily. "Lottie and Mama and Papa are all so wonderful, don't you think?"

He looked at her for a second, then coughed. "Quite," he said, which really didn't say much at all. But that, of course, was his intent. He didn't know if he could tell her exactly what he thought of her family. The King and Queen were very nice, he had to agree with her there. Their kindness to him meant a lot to him and he had enjoyed his conversations with them.

Lottie….Lottie, on the other hand, made him nervous. He was fully aware that she wasn't too fond of him. That much was obvious from her little jab at dinner about the crown. Clearly, she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him and the looks she gave him? Well, they were enough to freeze the Coronian Sea in the middle of the summer. He wondered if there was any way he could…

"_Eu_-gene!"

He blinked. Rapunzel was staring at him with her big and beautiful green eyes. "Um yes?"

She gestured at her door. "We're here."

He blinked again. "Right." He leaned in and gently gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Good night, Blondie."

Her eyes shone, and she smiled happily. "Night, Eugene. Sleep well."

"Sweet dreams," he said.

"You too." She gave him another smile before quietly letting herself into her room.

He looked after her thoughtfully. Sweet dreams indeed. Ha. He highly doubted that, yet he still hoped that she had good ones. One of them should have a decent night sleep.

Because if he knew one thing for sure, it wasn't going to be him.


	3. Celebration

**Chapter 2-Celebration**

That night, Eugene and Lottie both thought that Rapunzel hadn't noticed Lottie's little jab about the crown. But she had. It was the reason she was still awake and staring up at the ceiling, long after Eugene had left her, replaying over and over the interaction she'd observed between the two of them. She frowned just thinking about it. Clearly, there was no love lost between the two of them, but she wasn't exactly sure why. Lottie didn't even know Eugene! She'd never even met him before! But, she realized, Lottie probably had heard plenty about Flynn Rider- and most of it hadn't been good. So maybe it was natural that she wasn't going to like Flynn! Why should she? She didn't think that he had changed.

Well, she thought decidedly, then it was up to her to show her that he had and there _was_ no Flynn anymore.

There was only the wonderful Eugene.

XxXxXxX

The next morning, Eugene woke up to a knock on his door. He groaned to himself because he was _not _ready to get out of bed. After he'd left Rapunzel last night, he'd attempted to sleep. But there one too many thoughts in his brain and no matter what he did, he couldn't seem to shut them off. Sometime after midnight, he managed to doze off, yet it seemed like only a few moments had passed before that awful knock. With a groan, he pulled his pillow over his head to block it out. But the knocking continued, and he forced himself out of bed, at the very least to make that blasted noise stop. He walked over to the door, and pulled it open.

Rapunzel stood there in front of him. She looked happy, and he noted that it was probably because she was a morning person.

He was not.

She smiled brightly at him. "Good morning, Eugene!"

"Good morning," he mumbled.

She giggled. "You sound very awake!"

"I'm not," he told her. "I just _look_ like I am."

She laughed again and it was such a merry and happy sound that he found himself smiling back at her. "Well, anyway, I came here to tell you that breakfast is ready and Mama and Papa want you to come."

Another meal with her family. So he had to do that when he hadn't had his standard cup of coffee yet. His _black _cup of coffee. Wonderful. He made himself give Rapunzel a nice response. "Okay. I'll be ready soon." She nodded, and told him she'd meet him at the dining room. He shut the door and got dressed quickly, which seemed sort of ironic to him because he didn't relish the thought of yet another meal with her family. Or more accurately, Lottie. He wondered if she'd glare at him or make some other sort of remark today.

But there was nothing he could do about it. He needed to go; Rapunzel had asked him. He made his way to the dining room, where she was waiting for him- in a different dress, no less, a green dress that perfectly matched her eyes.

He couldn't miss the way her face lit up when she saw him, and she gave him yet another smile. "Hi Eugene."

"Hi Rapunzel," he said. "You look pretty today."

Her cheeks turned a pretty pink, and she twirled around. "Do you like it? Mama found it for me. It's one of Lottie's old dresses."

"It's very nice." He held out his arm for her. "Princess?"

She giggled and took it. They walked into the room together and were immediately greeted warmly by her parents. He noted that Lottie was there, not looking too pleased at his presence, but she managed to smile and say good morning to them both.

She didn't say much during the meal though and Eugene was sure that he wasn't the only one who had noticed. But Rapunzel and her mother managed to make pleasant conversation about all sorts of things, and he inserted some sort of witty comment here and there after he'd had several cups of coffee. It was incredibly nice to be here with Rapunzel, he thought, but he was still glad when the meal ended and he could do something else. Yet his relief soon ended when the King took him aside. "I'd like to talk with you now, if you don't mind."

He did mind, and if he were some other kind of man, he might quake in his boots at the thought of having this conversation with the King. How he could say no though?

He couldn't. So he followed the King into his study, bracing himself for horrible news. His entire body tensed up, like it always did when he thought he was about to be caught stealing something.

The King noticed his unease, and laughed a little. "Don't be so afraid, Eugene. I'm not going to send you to the gallows."

His legs gave out, and he shakily sat down in the chair. "I'm glad to hear that, Your Majesty."

"Not today at any rate," he said, but by the twinkle in his eye, he knew the King was joking.

It was too close to reality to really laugh about, though. "Haha," he said weakly.

The King gave a brief nod. "I mostly wanted to talk with you to learn more about your relationship with my daughter."

He blinked. "My….. relationship?"

"Yes. You know, how you met?"

"Oh, I see," he said, wondering what to say. He decided on the truth, and so he told him the whole story from the crown to the reunion on the balcony. And he left nothing out.

The King leaned back in his chair. "That's quite a story, Eugene."

He knew that, and he knew that it sounded crazy too. "It's all true, Your Majesty," he said.

"Yes," the King said slowly. "I believe it is." He said nothing for a moment, and Eugene wondered what was going through his mind. For a tense minute, he sat there, just waiting for the King to speak again. Somehow he knew he was deciding his fate- and it was nerve-wracking to say the least.

Finally he spoke. "Eugene, I'll tell you what I'm inclined to do."

"Um…yes, sire?" He wondered what the king was thinking. He hoped he was thinking something good.

"I'm inclined to pardon you," he said.

Eugene stared at him. A pardon was something he'd only dreamed about. He resisted the urge to pinch himself to check to see if he was dreaming. "Really?" He couldn't hide the disbelief from his voice.

"Yes," he said. "I believe the man who has performed a civic duty like rescuing a princess deserves one." He looked at him seriously. "Provided that he can prove that he has changed."

Eugene jumped in, quick to assure him. "Oh, I have! Really. I have."

The King's lips twitched in amusement. "I thought so. Tell me something. Did that change have anything to do with my daughter?"

The King was sharp, but he didn't even want to deny it. Rapunzel meant so much to him. Couldn't he let her own father know how much? "Yes," he said. "I owe her everything. She's…." He chuckled to himself. "Well, it sounds cliché, but she's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

The King's eyes were soft. "I understand. I feel the same way about my Gwenny," he said. "The day I married her...it was the best day of my whole life, only topped when Lottie was born and Rapunzel."

He wasn't sure how well he liked Lottie, personally. But he knew better than to say that. Besides, he could understand mostly what the King was trying to tell him: his family meant everything to him too. "I hope she and Rapunzel will be sister-friends." And it was true. He _did_ hope that Rapunzel would find a friend in her sister. She should have a female friend, and who better than her very own sister?

"So do I," said the King. Then he cleared his throat. "Well, Eugene, I think I have the information I need. Thank you for your time."

He stared at the King in disbelief again. They were done? Really? Well, that was decidedly….not painful. "Oh…okay."

The King started fiddling with his pages. "Good. I'll see you at lunch then." He started to scribble on paper, and Eugene could tell that was his cue to leave.

"Of course," he said, standing up. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He headed for the door, and he almost missed what the King said next.

"No, thank you, Eugene."

XxXxXxXx

Soon after Eugene left the King, he ran into Rapunzel- literally. One minute he was walking down the hall in a daze, and then next he'd bumped into someone. "I'm so sorry," he began, and then he saw that it was Rapunzel.

She was smiling at him. "Hi Eugene," she said brightly. "How was your meeting with Papa?"

"Good," he answered. _Almost surprisingly good. _"He says...he wants to give me a pardon."

Her smile grew even bigger and she threw her arms impulsively around him. "That's wonderful, Eugene!"

He awkwardly patted her back. It_ was_ wonderful, but it felt strange at the same time. What he'd really wanted to do back when the King told him about the possible pardon was say "no catch?" As a thief, he was _alway_s used to some kind of catch. In his experience, something that sounded too good to be true usually was. And a pardon for him smacked of that. "Yes, I guess it is."

She pulled away, and raised her eyebrow. "You guess?" she asked. "Why aren't you happier about it?"

She picked up on his moods too well. "I am happy about it, Rapunzel," he said. "And I'm_ very_ happy to be here with you."

The smile returned to her face, and she grabbed his hand. "Come on, Eugene. You need to come see the garden with me."

He went with her. How could he do anything else?

XxXxXxXx

Lottie decided that she was not having a good day at all. First, she'd had to sit through yet another meal with that smart-aleck Rider, then she had that horrid luncheon with annoying Lady Howard and her equally annoying daughter. And now, she met with her father and mother in the afternoon only to hear the most appalling news she'd ever heard since the day her sister vanished. She stared at her father in disbelief. "You did what?!"

"I told Eugene I'd pardon him," Papa said calmly.

"But-…." He was going to pardon him? After everything that blackguard had done? She couldn't believe it. What was Papa _thinking?_

"He brought your sister back, Lottie." Now Mama spoke. "Is it too incomprehensible that we would reward him in some way?"

Lottie bit her tongue. Yes, it was too incomprehensible, in her opinion. But when Mama put it that way, she couldn't argue. Like she had done many times, she swallowed what she truly wanted to say. "No," she said softly. "I-….I guess not." Was it even worth it to tell her what she really thought? She doubted that Papa and Mama would change their minds anyway. Besides, she knew better than to argue with them. They were still the ruling monarchs after all. If they wanted to pardon Rider….then they could pardon him. It's not like they needed her permission.

"Good," she said. Her face softened. "You don't have to want to be his best friend, Lottie. But I'm sure it'd mean a lot to Rapunzel if you were kind to him."

She knew what Mama expected her to say, and she said it. "I'll do my best."

Mama rose and embraced her. "That's all we ask."

Of course it was. "Doing her best" was what dutiful princesses did.

She was the perfect picture of a dutiful princess, if nothing else.

XxXxXxXx

Two days after Rapunzel had returned, Mama came to Lottie and told her, eyes aglow, that she was planning a week-long party to celebrate her homecoming, and she would appreciated her help. Naturally Lottie agreed and for the next several days, she was so busy with preparations that she didn't see Rapunzel or Rider very much at all. She wasn't too sad that she was unable to see Rider, but she was slightly disappointed not to see her sister. Rapunzel was such a perky, upbeat person that she missed being around her.

Of course, being around Rapunzel meant being around Rider and she still couldn't say that she was too fond of him. She only tolerated him really, and only for her sister's sake. But she couldn't resist sneaking a barb in here and there when Rapunzel wasn't around. She didn't want to upset her, and she knew Rapunzel would be if she knew. However, and it was to her unending surprise, Rider never responded aggressively. Instead, he continued to be….well, _kind _was really the only word for it. It bewildered her, and she thought that maybe he had actually changed. Maybe Rapunzel brought out the good side of him, and her parents were correct in pardoning him. It was true that he had brought her sister home…

But the truth still was that he had stolen the crown, and who knows how many other things during his career as a thief. So she didn't know what to do. She was torn between her sense of right and wrong, and the fact that her sister really liked him- maybe even loved him.

She forced it out of her mind though, and focused all her energy on helping Mama throw the best party that Corona had ever seen. She and Mama spent hours deciding on the activities, figuring out menus, poring over details. It was exhausting, but she was committed to making the best party that she could.

Rapunzel, their lost princess, deserved it. She was determined that the party would be perfect.

XxXxXxXx

The party _was _perfect. It was worth every single minute that Lottie and Mama had spent on it, and all of their efforts had paid off. Everything turned out perfectly, even the weather. Every day the sun shone, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Besides that, the food turned out just like they'd hoped, and it seemed like almost everyone in Corona attended the celebration.

And all of them had come to meet the famed Lost Princess. Everyone at the party flocked around Rapunzel, telling them how excited they were that she was home and how glad that she'd returned safe and sound. One group had hardly left before another took their place. Personally, if it were Lottie, she'd have felt rather smothered by all the attention.

But Rapunzel seemed to take it all in stride, and gave everyone a sweet smile, thanking them for coming. Rider himself was never too far from her side, and she saw them look at each other as if they were the only two people in the entire square.

Her heart grew heavy just watching them. Would anyone ever look at her like that? She wasn't particularly fond of Rider himself, but she wished that she had found a love like her sister. Sometimes she was so lonely that she wanted to lie in the fetal position and cry. Right now, she felt like huddling in a corner, but one of the townspeople came up to her. "Princess Charlotte," the lady said. "Isn't it wonderful that the lost princess is finally home?"

She pasted on her princess smile. "Yes, it is." She meant what she said; she was glad Rapunzel was home, but being a princess was so hard sometimes!

Did Rapunzel even know what she was in for as a princess?

If she had, Lottie thought, she never would have come home. Lottie wouldn't have, that's for certain!

She spent the rest of her day acting as the perfect princess that she'd been trained to be. But part of her couldn't help but wonder about her own future. Would she have to live like this forever? Would she ever find someone to love like her sister did?


	4. Lessons

**Chapter 3-Lessons**

After the party, things settled down in the palace and Lottie was able to live in a new normal. She did all her usual princess activities, and she had meals with her sister and Rider. But over the next couple days, Lottie avoided Rider whenever possible. She still didn't particularly want to be around him. But that actually wasn't too difficult because she had many teas, luncheons and other royal functions. They were all terribly boring (like they always were really), but she thought that maybe it was better than pretending to like Rider. All those commitments made it rather easy to not see him, and she was slightly grateful. She still didn't know what to do about him, and was glad she had more time to figure it out.

Yet all that ended the day Mama came to Lottie, asking her to spend an afternoon with Rapunzel and "Eugene."

Lottie wasn't too excited at the possibility, but she never could say no to her mother.

So she went.

At Rapunzel's suggestion, they took a picnic lunch to the lake. They walked around for a bit before sitting down because "the lake was the too beautiful and they had to explore!"

That was Rapunzel's opinion, of course. Lottie would have been okay with sitting down, burying her toes in the grass, and reading a book instead. Yet she still went with Rapunzel and Rider, and she lagged behind them slightly. She heard them talking and laughing with each other, almost as if they were the only two people present. She felt exactly like a third wheel, like an unwelcome intruder on a private party, and it was the most uncomfortable feeling in the world. Now why had Mama wanted her to go? It's not like she could bond with her sister when she was talking to Rider the entire time! She sighed heavily, and continued to trudge after them.

After Rapunzel felt like she'd seen enough, they sat down and unpacked their lunch. While they ate, Rapunzel kept up a bubbly stream of conversation, and she often would drop something positive about "Eugene" right in the middle or tell her something that they'd have in common. For instance, Rapunzel would ask her if she liked books and she'd answer yes, and then she'd say something like "Eugene likes to read too! Don't you, Eugene?"

He had the grace to look embarrassed. "Yeah," he'd say, and then Rapunzel would start chatting again.

Lottie knew exactly what she was trying to do- talk up Rider so she'd start liking him. She wasn't sure it was working. Did Rapunzel think she'd change her mind that easily?

She hadn't, not in the slightest, but she still decided to be kind. It's what a princess did, after all. "So how do you like living here, Rapunzel?" she asked.

Rapunzel smiled. "I like it! I'm so happy to be with you, Mama, and Papa." She nudged Eugene, who was sitting close to her. "And Eugene, of course."

Rider grinned at her. "Of course. I mean, where you be without me, Blondie?"

Blondie? Why did her call her that? Rapunzel didn't have blonde hair! But she realized she _did_ have blonde hair as a baby. She wondered what had happened to it….

Rapunzel gazed at him tenderly. "I don't know…."

They were looking at each other _that_ way again. Ugh, she had to stop this. If she heard any more of this romantic nonsense, she'd either start crying or screaming. She wasn't entirely sure which one. Thank God she'd spent many Princess lessons practicing how to hide her feelings so she'd be ready for a moment like this. "And _Eugene_…" She tried not to wrinkle her nose as she called him that. "What about you?"

They both looked at her again now, but she noticed that they blinked several times, like they'd maybe forgotten she was there. Wonderful. She thought she'd forgotten her invisibility cloak today. "Oh," he said finally. "It's….nice."

Nice? _Nice? _He was living in the _palace_, not the dungeon! Couldn't he think of a better adjective than that with all that famed wit of his? "Don't you find your accommodations adequate?"

He blinked in surprise. "Oh, of course, Princess," he said hastily. "My room is amazing. It's probably the nicest one I've ever been in. Your parents were very kind to let me stay here."

True. So true. Her parents were much more gracious than she'd ever be. "Well, Mama and Papa are _very_ generous people."

"Lottie," Rapunzel said suddenly. "Don't you think that Eugene should call you Lottie like the rest of us instead of Princess? It is so formal…" She looked at Lottie, with pleading eyes.

Of course "Princess" was formal. That's the way she liked it, and part of her coolness to him. Yet how could she deny her sister when she looked at her like that? "All right, sweetie," she said, shocked that she'd called Rapunzel by an endearment and even more shocked that she was giving in. "He can call me Lottie like you."

Rapunzel squealed and hugged her. "You're the best sister ever!" Lottie put her arms around her and patted her back awkwardly. She wasn't sure that she was the "best sister ever", but she was pleased that Rapunzel was happy. She was such a magnetic person that when she was happy, it was so hard not to be yourself.

And Rapunzel was a very happy person. Throughout the entire afternoon, she didn't think she'd seen anything other than a smile on her face. Rider acted a little less whimsy than Rapunzel was, but he seemed so very glad to her too. Maybe he was just rejoicing the fact that he was not in jail. She would be, if she were him.

But it could be that he….did somehow have feelings for her sister. He treated her with such kindness and gentleness, and he even picked a small bouquet of flowers for her. It was, she thought, the way she believed a man should treat the woman he loves.

Maybe….maybe she'd been wrong about him. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

And after that day, her heart opened up to him just a crack.

XxXxXxXx

One afternoon a few days later, Mama found her in her sitting room, taking a rare moment to read a book. "Lottie," Mama said after greeting her. "How much extra time do you have?"

"A little," she answered. "Why?" If Mama insisted she spend more time with Lord Howard's son, Theodore, she thought she'd scream. He was just as condescending as his father was, and she couldn't stand him. Maybe she could come up with some kind of excuse, like she needed more time to practice her curtsies. Blast. That was a sorry excuse for an….excuse, she thought. There was no chance she'd wiggle out of it now.

But Mama said nothing about Theodore (or Theobore, as she called him privately). "I was wondering if maybe you could help Rapunzel with her lessons," she said. "You know…show her the basics of being a Princess?"

Mentally, she went through her schedule. It'd be rather tight to add in lessons a few times a week., but she didn't want to say no to her mother. She was the person who_ never _said no. It was just who she was-the "yes" princess. "I-…."

At her hesitation, Mama jumped in. "If you don't have time, it's all right. I'll ask Lady Howard instead."

She wrinkled her nose at the name. Much like her husband, Lady Howard was loud, pretentious, and condescending. And a bore, just like her son. She couldn't let her sweet sister be taught by her; she'd be miserable and probably wouldn't learn a bloody thing. "No," she said quickly. "It's all right. I'll make time for her." She skimmed her weekly schedule. "How about Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3?"

Mama smiled widely and she knew she hadn't really wanted Lady Howard to do the lessons. She was probably relieved that Lottie had agreed. "Wonderful. Can you start tomorrow?"

Tomorrow was Wednesday. "Yes, I think so." She'd have to spend the rest of the afternoon getting ready, but what else was there to do? It's not like she'd miss the Tuesday tea with Lady Howard and her niece, Mildred, that much. "But I'll have to skip the tea, which I _so_ hate to do." Actually she was thrilled. There was nothing she hated more than that stupid tea. Lady Howard would constantly talk about how important she and her husband were, and Mildred would talk about how important she wished she was. Afterward, she always spent at least an hour with a cold cloth on her forehead because of her massive headache.

"Don't worry," Mama said with an amused smile. "I'll make your excuses."

"Thank you, Mama," she said gratefully.

"No, thank you, sweetie," she said. "You're amazing to do this."

"It'll be good," Lottie said truthfully. "I'll get to know my sister better."

Mama smiled, and quietly left the room. With her thoughts now on the lessons, she pulled out a piece of paper and began to write:

_Top Ten Princess Rules _

_ 1. __Don't forget that being a princess is a real job. It had duties and obligations just like any other._

_2. __Always act with poise and decorum. Remember, everyone is watching you. _

_3. __Refrain from discussing controversial things like politics, religion, or current events at royal functions._

_4. __Refrain from talking extensively with the palace servants. _

_5. __However, treat everyone with grace and kindness._

_6__. __Make sure to always look perfect when seen in public. A princess is the paramount of perfection. _

_7. __A princess must be able to control her temper and emotions. Do not display intense feelings in public. _

_8. __Act with diplomacy with foreigners. Remember, small words can cause big wars. _

_9. __Attempt, if possible, to marry someone of royal blood. Royal marriages bring royal alliances which brings peace to Corona. _

_10. __A princess is always prompt._

XxXxXxXx

After dinner that night, Mama assured Lottie that Rapunzel knew that she was supposed to see her for her lessons. So, the next day, precisely at 3pm, Lottie waited for Rapunzel in the library where they were supposed to meet. Yet there was no sign of her. There was also no sign of her at 3:05, 3:10 or 3:15 either. Well, he now knew exactly what her sister's first lesson was going to be. Rule #10-a princess is always prompt.

Finally, at exactly 3:28, Rapunzel came in with a big grin. "Hi, Lottie! How are you? Did you have a nice day? I did, but these lessons are so-…:"

She interrupted her. "Rapunzel," she said calmly. "Do you know what time it is?"

Rapunzel glanced up at the clock. "It's 3:30."

"Exactly," she said. "I asked you to meet me here at 3."

The smile vanished off her face. "I'm so sorry, Lottie," she said bashfully. "I guess I just lost track of time. I'll be on time next time, I promise."

At her heartfelt apology, Lottie softened. "That's all right, Rapunzel. Just make sure it doesn't happen again. Princesses need to be prompt."

"I will."

"Good. Okay, Rapunzel," she said. "So I wanted to begin with some princess basics that you should know. The first thing I wanted to tell you is that…." Her voice trailed off as she noticed her sister gazing out the window. "Rapunzel, are you listening to me?"

Rapunzel continued to stare out the window for at least thirty seconds before finally meeting her eyes. Then she blinked several times. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lottie," she apologized. "What were you saying? I was thinking about how cute Eugene is when he-…."

Eugene! She nearly growled in frustration, but she masked it with a tight smile. "I understand." _Not really! _ "But I really need you to pay attention here. This is all very important."

Rapunzel straightened up in her seat and looked attentive. "Right," she said. "I'm focused now."

"Good," she said. "So the first thing you need to understand is that most people think that being a princess means that you live in a palace, wear fancy gowns, and marry a prince. But it's not as simple as that. It's a real job, and there are certain rules you need to follow." She watched Rapunzel's expression carefully. She didn't think she'd be too "anti-rule" but who knows what nonsense Rider could be putting in her head.

"Okay…." she said.

"And so I have two things for you to help," she said, sticking them on the table. "A list of my top ten 'Princess Rules' and _Lady Emily Palamoor's Book of Etiquette." _

Rapunzel took them hesitantly. "A book of _etiquette?"_ Her nose wrinkled, which actually expressed Lottie's opinion on the subject perfectly. She personally thought that most of the royal etiquette was incredibly stupid and pointless too, but she was obligated to teach it.

"I know exactly what you mean, sweetie," she said. "But unfortunately it's just all part of the job. Promise me you'll read it though. Okay?"

She nodded, and a serious expression crossed her face. Lottie didn't know her happy sister could look like that "Yes, I promise. And I never, _ever _break my promises."

"Excellent," she said. "So, we're ready for our first lesson of the day: greetings."

Rapunzel beamed, and her sober look quickly left. "Oh, wonderful! I love meeting new people! Everyone in Corona is so nice."

She found herself smiling at her enthusiasm. Maybe this might be fun. "Good. So when you meet someone new, how would you greet them?"

She appeared to think a minute, and then smiled. "Hi," she said with a wave. "I'm Rapunzel!"

Lottie smiled in spite of herself. She was completely off, but there was just something so adorable about her sister. "Not quite," she said tactfully. "Since you're a princess, it's necessary to have a little bit more formality. Usually, you extend your hand and say something like 'so and so, it's a pleasure to meet you'".

Rapunzel's face was serious. "I see," she said soberly. "I think I can do that."

"I'm sure you can," she said kindly. She had Rapunzel practice a few greetings, and once she was sure she understood it, she taught her curtsies, including the "royal curtsy." Rapunzel picked them up fast like she thought she would, but the "royal curtsy" took her a while to learn. That wasn't necessarily unexpected. This curtsy began from a stand, and continued until you were on the floor, with your face buried in your skirt. It had taken Lottie months to master it. After she thought Rapunzel had learned it fairly well, she ended the lesson. Rapunzel fairly flew out of the room, saying something about meeting Eugene.

Once she left, Lottie sighed. Her sister was wonderful, but this was going to be a lot of work.

XxXxXxXx

For the most part, Rapunzel decided, she enjoyed her new life in the palace. She sometimes had nightmares about the tower, but Eugene always comforted her when they happened so they didn't spoil life here too much. She liked being with her family, and she loved being with Eugene and spending all her time with him. But that haed changed the day Mama came to her and said that she had to have lessons in being a princess. She'd have them all day, almost every day. She wasn't particularly thrilled about it, but there wasn't much she could do. Eugene understood, and told her they just wanted to teach her what they felt she needed to know to be the best princess she could be. So, a few days after the party, she started her lessons and between her session of history, politics, and "princess" etiquette taught by her sister, it seemed to take forever.

But when she was finally free, Rapunzel met Eugene outside in the garden. "Hi Eugene," she greeted him.

He smiled warmly at her. "Hey you! How was it?"

"You mean my lessons?" she asked and he nodded. "Most of them were kind of boring."

"And the one with….your sister?" he asked hesitantly.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "It wasn't too bad. But all this etiquette sure is silly, Eugene! Like did you know you can't just wave hello when you meet someone new?"

He made a face of horror. "No!"

"Yes!" she said. "And if I have to meet someone who's…like, you know, royal, I have to curtsy like this." She stood up, and demonstrated. Gracefully, she performed the same curtsy all the way to the ground that Lottie had shown her.

She looked up at him. He was staring at her with wide and incredulous eyes. "Wow," he said finally. "That's some…curtsy."

She got up and sat next to him again. "I know! Lottie made me practice it at least ten times before she said it was okay."

At the mention of Lottie, he frowned slightly. "What do you…think of Lottie?" he asked her hesitantly.

"I think….," Rapunzel stopped and frowned thoughtfully. "I think she's nice, but she really wants me to follow all these princess rules."

"You don't think she's sort of….cold?" he said, with a certain…._something _in his tone that she was sure she understood.

Her sister who called her sweetie, cold? "No, I don't!" she exclaimed. "She might be serious, and quiet, but I don't think she's cold." The frown didn't leave his face, and she immediately grew concerned. "Why do you ask, Eugene?"

He blinked and shrugged. "No reason in particular! I was just wondering." He grinned at her. "Making conversation…"

"Huh," she said, thoughts of Lottie leaving her mind. Eugene was grinning, so he couldn't be too upset. "That's another thing I have to learn. The 'art' of conversation." She made quotation marks in the air. "Whatever that means. I mean, isn't talking just talking?"

"Not if you're a princess," was Eugene's answer.

She slumped and crossed her arms. "Naturally." She bit her lip in thought. "You know, Eugene, this whole princess thing isn't at all what I'd thought it would be. It's really hard! There's so many rules and I just know I'm going to break them all." She buried her face in her hands, just thinking about it. Lottie hadn't told her too many rules today, but she knew tons were to follow. And how could she keep track of every single one of them?

She felt his hand begin to stroke her back. "Well, you might break one here and there. But you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. You're learning, and I'm sure once you master it all, you'll be the best princess ever."

She peeked at him from between her hands. "You think?"

He grinned at her. "I know."

"I don't…," she said slowly and bit her lip in thought. "Lottie is really good at being a princess…"

"Of course she is," he said. "But she's had a lot more practice than you. You'll get there."

Despite his kind words, doubts still nagged at her. "I don't know. I'm not sure I can ever be her."

He tilted her chin up to look at him. "Hey…you don't have to be her," he said gently. "You just have to be the best Rapunzel you can be. Okay? Just be the best Rapunzel, and you won't ever let anyone down."

She nodded. "Yes."

"Good," he said. "And just so you know, you'll always be the perfect princess to me." He smiled at her again.

She found herself smiling back, and impulsively hugged him. Somehow knowing that made her feel so much better.

Now she believed that she really could do this, even if it would be really hard. And he'd be with her every step of the way.

XxXxXxXx

But just because she knew Eugene was with her didn't mean that being a princess grew any easier. Because it didn't. She spent most of her days in lessons, and she barely saw Eugene at all. Besides that, the more lessons she had the more she grew to dislike them. Some of the history and geography was okay, but the more etiquette she learned, the more she hated them and found them odious. Oh, it wasn't Lottie's fault; she made it as interesting as she could. She even gave her a book so she could write down all the rules. Sometimes it felt like she wrote down a new rule every other minute. And all of them were so counter-intuitive that she ranted about it whenever she_ did_ get to see Eugene.

One afternoon, she decided to show him her etiquette book. "All of these rules are just so stupid, Eugene," she said, flipping through the pages. "I mean, look at this one!"

He took the book from her and skimmed it with a serious face. Then abruptly it changed and he smirked at her. "You mean the one where Lottie told you not to talk about me obsessively at dinner?"

Her cheeks went hot. The first couple dinners here she had talked about him a lot, and Lottie had kindly told her that she might want to discuss something else sometimes. After that gentle rebuke, she had written it in her book, and tried not to, even if it was hard. "Um, no. I was actually referring to the other one," she said primly.

He glanced back down at her book. "Ah," he said. "Then it must be the one where she told you to not talk about fantastic I was at Flynn Rider?"

She huffed and snatched the book back. "Be serious, Eugene!" she said. "That's not what I wrote and you know it!" He did. What she had really written was _Lottie says it is best if I don't mention Eugene's past as Flynn Rider._ And he could see her point. It was just….so fun to tease her. "I mean_ this_ one!" She pointed to a certain place on her page.

He read it. "You mean the one about not talking about politics, current events, religion, or anything that could be considered controversial at state dinners?"

"Yes," she said. "It's so…..ridiculous! That leaves out pretty much everything except….like the weather." She sighed. "I mean, I like talking about the sun and stuff but it's so…boring!"

"I think that's the point, Rapunzel," he told her. "There's no chance a war could be started over a remark about the weather."

She crossed her arms again. "Huh. You'd be surprised, Eugene."

He had a feeling that continuing to discuss this wasn't going to help her any. "You know, I have a better idea than talking about your princess rules."

She still looked rather annoyed, but at least it wasn't aimed at him- and there were no frying pans lying around, so he thought he was safe. "And what's that, Eugene?"

"How about we go for a little walk, and you can pretend that you aren't a princess," he said.

She considered it. "Can I take off my shoes?"

"Of course," he assured her. "Deal?" He stood up and held out his hand to her.

She smiled and took it. "Deal."


	5. Friend

**Chapter 4-Friend**

On that very same afternoon, Lottie herself was feeling rather suffocated in her role as princess. She'd just spent another two hours with Lady Howard and her niece, and now her head pounded. She lay on her bed with a cold cloth on her forehead but it wasn't helping at all. She still had a migraine.

What she needed, she thought, was not a cold cloth. She needed to do _something_, or she feared she'd do something crazy like bite the bed to keep from screaming.

But she didn't really want to do that. What she truly wanted to get out of the castle, for at least a little while, and forget that she was a princess. She glanced out of her window, yearning to be out there instead of here, and walk the streets of Corona. She probably shouldn't though and her parents' voices echoed in her mind. _You never know what could happen to you out there, Lottie. You need to stay in the palace where it's safe._

Huh, she thought. They often conveniently forgot that Rapunzel had been kidnapped when she had been in the palace, so it therefore wasn't as safe as they thought it was.

So why couldn't she go out of it?

She couldn't come up with any good reasons. Besides, how could a princess help her people if she didn't even know them?

She couldn't, Lottie decided, and she was going to go walking outside the palace, at least for a little while. She threw her legs over her bed, and went to her wardrobe, searching for a scarf to cover up her hair. After all, she didn't have to make the fact that she was the princess completely obvious.

She soon found one, and hastily covered her hair. Then she opened her door, looking for any guards. There were none.

So she quickly and quietly snuck out of the palace, all the while keeping an eye out for anyone who could stop her. Nobody did, and when she finally got outside the palace walls and into the city, she couldn't help a triumphant laugh. That was much too easy! She should have done this long ago.

In a happy daze, she walked around Corona, taking everything in, from the inhabitants to the many buildings. She stopped briefly to buy a scone, and ate it as she continued to explore. But she didn't know where she was going, and inadvertently she wandered into a darker part of town.

Finally she realized where she was, and a cold feeling came over her. She should have paid more attention to where she was going. Her hair prickled the back of her neck, and she felt like someone was following her. Sure enough, when she turned around she saw two rough-looking boys behind her.

Instinctively she started walking faster through the streets, then glanced over her shoulder. They were still following her. She decided to be upfront, and she stopped. "What do you want?"

They looked at each other, then smiled at her. She was not reassured. There was something….almost sinister about it and shivers went down her back. "Well, surely a wealthy lady like you has money to spare."

They wanted to rob her? Unbelievable! Why, oh why hadn't she changed her dress before she went? That clearly betrayed her status. "I don't have any money," she said. And it was true. She'd already spent the little amount she had brought with her.

One of them snickered. "You expect us to believe that?"

"I honestly don't care if you do or not," she retorted. "But I do know one thing. If you don't stop harassing me, you're going to be sorry."

One of them mumbled to the other, and he started reaching for her. Without hesitation, she kicked him in the shins. The other one managed to grab hold of her, but she hit him in the nose with her elbow and he let go of her. "Get-away-from-me!" she hissed. She didn't wait to see if they'd try to grab her again or not. She bolted and ran as fast as she could away from them. She heard pounding footsteps behind her, and she knew they were coming after her again. She continued to run, but she had a feeling they were gaining on her. Oh, why had she been so stupid? Surely this was probably why her parents hadn't wanted her to leave the palace. She kept running, and as she turned to another street she scraped her arm on something. Pain shot up her arm, but she didn't stop.

But all of a sudden, she slammed into something. She looked up only to find she'd run into a man- a handsome young man with brown hair and gentle brown eyes. Heat flooded to her face. "Um…please excuse me," she mumbled.

He smiled kindly at her. "That's quite all right," he said. "No harm done. But I-…" He broke off, and he started to frown. She glanced behind her, and the two ragamuffins were there. Her feet twitched, and she wanted to run away again. But the man was standing in her way.

"What are you looking at?" he asked them and stepped in front of her. "There's nothing here that concerns you." They didn't look too convinced, but his hand reached to his waist and Lottie saw a knife there. She was sure that they had too. "Go on. GO! Or do you want me to go tell the palace guards that you hassle young ladies now?"

They looked at each other, and then they started to walk away, grumbling all the while.

She stared at him in surprise. "You got rid of them."

He smiled again. She decided that she liked it very much. "Oh, it was nothing," he said modestly. "Boys like that….they're all bark, but no bite. When you threaten them, suddenly they cave."

It might have been nothing to him, but she felt incredibly grateful. "Well, I still didn't know if I could outrun them," she said. "So I thank you."

"You're welcome," he said. Then abruptly he took her arm and studied her scrape. "You know, you'd better let me help you with that."

She felt hesistant. She didn't know this man at all, and how did she know he wouldn't kidnap her? Shouldn't she be a proper princess and go back home?

She didn't want to be a proper princess, and she didn't want to go home. She smiled at him. He'd helped her get rid of those horrible boys, and so she doubted that he'd hurt her. What could be wrong with going to his house? "Well, thank you," she said. "That'd be quite kind of you."

"Sure," he said, and he gestured for her to follow him. She did. "So what's your name?" he asked as they walked.

She was silent. For most people this wouldn't be a dilemma, but she wasn't sure she wanted to introduce herself as the princess. People had a tendency to treat her differently when they knew. It was at least partly why she'd never made a close friend. "Lottie," she said finally. "Just…..just Lottie."

A pleasant grin appeared on his face. She _really_ liked it. "Well, Lottie, I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Tom."

"Pleasure."

He continued to smile at her, and he started to walk-she guessed- toward his home again. "So," he said, after they had walked a ways in silence. "Just wanted to see what the ruffians of Corona were like, did you?"

Her cheeks heated up. "I-….I didn't know that was…a rough part of town."

"Oh, I see," he said. "You don't come out to this way a lot?"

That was for sure. She hardly ever even left the palace! "Not really."

"Well, just for future reference….don't."

She doubted that she would. If she did decide to walk around Corona again, she would make sure to stay out of that part of town. "I'll keep that in mind."

They walked quietly until they reached a little house in the middle of town. Tom grinned at her. "Here we are!" He opened the door, and gestured her inside. "My humble home."

She looked around to see a nicely furnished, but small, cottage. She thought that he must have some money because there were books, pens and papers all over the table and several coffee cups. Judging from the papers, she guessed he was literate.

He noticed her gaze and started to gather up the papers in a pile. "Sorry about that," he said. "Occupational hazard."

"You write?" she asked politely.

"Only when I breathe," he answered. He laughed slightly. "I'm writing a book, to be precise."

"What about?"

He shrugged. "Oh , life, love….the usual." He cleared his throat and dampened a cloth with water from a bucket. "Anyway," he said, walking over to her and gesturing for her to sit down. She did. "Let me clean that up for you." He pulled up a chair next to her and started dabbing at her cut.

She watched as he did, thinking that she wasn't sure why he was being so kind to her. Did he know that she was the princess? Most people felt obligated to act nice, so maybe he felt the same way… She couldn't believe he was being nice to her only for altruistic reasons.

"You know," he said, breaking the silence. "I feel bad that you had such a horrible experience today. So let me make it up to you." He smiled at her again. "Let me show you around town, and I _promise_ we won't run into any young ruffians."

She stared at him. He wanted to do something with her? Really? "Um…."

"Come on, it will be fun!" he coaxed.

The princess inside her couldn't say no. "Okay," she said slowly. "I guess I could."

He smiled and his whole face lit up- like he had truly wanted her to go. What? "Wonderful. What would be a good day for you?"

"I don't know….," she said. "Maybe next Tuesday?"

He continued to smile. Did he ever _not _smile? "That would be perfect. I'll meet you at the square."

"Um…okay," she said awkwardly. "I guess I'll see you then." She wasn't entirely sure what to say now. "Thanks for your help."

"Oh, you're welcome," he said. "Good bye, Lottie."

She managed to recover some of her composure. "Good bye, Tom." She walked away, but she couldn't help but look back at him. He grinned at her.

She found herself smiling back, even after everything, because of one reason:

Tom had been kind to her, and not because she was Princess Lottie. But because she was herself. Just Lottie.

XxXxXxXx

Tuesday came more quickly that Lottie thought it would, and all too soon, Lottie found herself walking to the town square with some measure of trepidation. Part of her felt rather nervous at the thought of a whole afternoon with Tom, but part of her was also excited. When had she ever done something as normal as walk around town with a friend?

Well, maybe he wasn't a friend yet. But he could be.

Soon she reached the square, and her eyes searched for him. She finally found him, sitting by himself at the fountain, scribbling something intensely.

She approached him hesitantly. He looked rather preoccupied…. "Um...Tom?"

His eyes stayed focus on the paper. "Just a minute." She waited patiently, but she wondered what he was writing about. A few moments passed before he looked up at her. He smiled warmly. "Hello Lottie," he said. "Sorry about that, have to write when the muse hits you." He patted the spot next to him. "Please, sit." She cautiously sat down and gave him a tentative smile. "So, is there anywhere you want to go?"

She shook her head. "No, not really."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "I mean, there's just a lot I haven't seen. So, any place is fine."

He blinked in surprise. "There's a lot you…haven't seen?"

She shrugged. She wasn't about to explain that she stayed in the palace most of the time. "I don't get out much."

"Oh, I see," he said. Then his expression brightened. "Well, stick with me and I'll show all the best spots."

And he did. He showed her the beautiful ocean that surrounded Corona, the busy market, lots of shops and stores, and….well, pretty much everything. It was grand to see it all, but Lottie felt rather fatigued as they went on. When they stopped to sit for a while, she wanted to tell him that she was tired, but she was sure that there was one more spot she needed to see. She decided to say nothing.

"Come on," he said after a few moments. "I still haven't shown you my favorite spot in all of Corona." He stood up and held his hand out to her.

She stared at for a minute, and then looked up at him. He was smiling. She couldn't help it; she smiled back. And she took his hand.

He continued to smile, and he began to lead her through the streets. "Of course, I love all of Corona," he said as they walked. "But this is where I fell most at home."

Lottie had a hard time focusing on what he was saying. Instead, she was thinking about how nice his hand felt in hers. She'd held a man's hand before of course, at balls when she danced with them. But it had never made her heart warm or her heart pound.

"Lottie?"

She blinked. "Yes, Tom?"

His eyes crinkled in amusement. "We're here." He gestured toward the building.

"Oh, yes," she said. She glanced at the name. _Taylor's Books. _"A bookstore?"

"Ah, but it's not just a bookstore, Lottie," he said "It also is part coffee-shop. So, would you like to go in?"

She found herself smiling again. It's like she couldn't help but smile around him. His enthusiasm was so infectious. "Sure. I like books."

His smile increased, and they went inside. He was immediately greeted by a tall, middle-aged man who smiled in welcome. "Hello there, Tom."

"Hello, Mr. Taylor," he said. "Got anything new?"

Mr. Taylor looked amused. "Not since yesterday, but it seems _you _do." He nodded at Lottie. Her cheeks went hot.

"Haha," Tom said pleasantly. "This is my friend, Lottie. Lottie, Mr. Taylor."

Thank goodness for her hours of princess lessons. They'd prepared her to be gracious at such a time as this. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Taylor."

He chuckled. "Oh, honey, it's a pleasure to meet you too. And you take care of Tom here, won't you? He's always in his imaginary world. He'd forget where his head was sometimes if it wasn't attached to his neck."

Lottie's cheeks heated up again at the implication and Tom cleared his throat. "So, Mr. Taylor, could you maybe get me a coffee and a…." He turned to her. "What would you like, Lottie?"

She wrinkled her nose. She hated coffee. It tasted disgusting to her. "Tea? Could I have some tea, please?"

"Of course," he said. "And two cupcakes too, please."

Mr. Taylor nodded, and he went to prepare them. "So," she said to Tom. "You come here often?"

He laughed. "Probably more often than I should. But it helps get me inspired sometimes." He gestured toward the rows of books. "Read some of the greats."

"Oh, I see," she said. "What's one of your favorite books?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "Well, it's sort of silly, but I just love _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider_." He chuckled. "I promise though, that I like good works too. Like _Le Morte D'Arthur." _

Lottie brightened. "Oh, I've always wanted to read that! Was it good?"

"Very," he said, and they continued to talk about books while they drank their coffee and tea and ate their cupcakes. Afterward, they slowly walked back to his house and Lottie found that she didn't really want their time to end. She'd had so much fun, and she felt like she didn't have to be Princess Charlotte. She could just be herself. Just Lottie. It was wonderful. All too soon, they were standing at his door. "Tom, I-…." She hesitated, trying to find the words. She wanted to tell him what a good time she'd had, but she wasn't sure how to say it. "I had a great time."

"I did too," he said. "We should do it again soon."

She just looked at him. He wanted to do it….again? "I'd like that very much. Maybe Tuesdays?"

He smiled at her, and it warmed her from the inside out. "I'd like that."

They exchanged goodbyes soon after that, and Lottie went home to the palace, thinking that she hadn't had such a pleasant afternoon in a very long time.

She was so glad she'd decided to go.

XxXxXxXx

The next week, Lottie met Tom and they went walking through Corona like they had the last time- and it was just as pleasant as the first time. Besides that, the more she spent time with him the more she grew comfortable with him. She even told him that she was the princess, and much to her surprise and delight, he just nodded and said something along the lines of he thought she was noble. But he didn't treat her any differently. It was grand.

But the following week, rain poured down almost as soon as she reached his house and they couldn't go walking like they normally did. Lottie wasn't sure what they would do, but Tom suggested they play a game called "Speak." She wasn't sure what that was. "I've never heard of it."

"That's because I made it up," he said with a grin.

"Well, how do you play?"

"It's simple," he said. "I ask you a question and you answer it truthfully. And then you ask me one."

"That doesn't sound too hard," she said.

"That's the beauty of it," he said. "It can be as easy or as hard as you yourself make it. All it depends on is one thing."

"What's that?"she asked in curiosity.

"How well you can actually tell the truth." His eyes met hers, in a challenge. Almost as if he knew how often she lied.

"I can tell the truth," she said defensively. "I just…don't do it often."

He smiled at her, and her insides felt like melted chocolate. "I'm sure you can," he said reassuringly. "And because I'm all benevolence, you can ask me the first question."

"Okay." She was quiet for a moment, before thinking of something. "Have you ever told a lie?"

He leaned back in his chair. "No."

She found that hard to believe. She didn't think she'd ever met anyone in the whole kingdom of Corona who had never told at least a white lie. "Seriously?"

"No," he said. "I always try to tell the truth. Don't you?"

"No, I can't, even if I want to," she answered. "I'm the princess, Tom. What do you expect?"

He frowned thoughtfully. "But surely you can talk to your family."

She sighed. She probably lied to them most of all. Exhibit A- the lie that she lived as Rapunzel's sister who liked "Eugene." But how could she tell her the truth? It could devastate her. Wasn't it better to keep her opinions to herself and not hurt her sister? "No. I can't."

He shook his head, like he truly felt sorry for her. "That's terrible, Lottie," he said. "How do you stand holding everything in?"

Actually, she couldn't think of a time in her life when she hadn't kept her feelings to herself. "Um….I'm used to it?"

"Well, don't be surprised if one day it all comes out sideways and backfires on you," he told her. "That's what happens in my experience."

"It's happened to you?" she asked.

"No," he answered. "But I've seen it happen to others, and trust me, you don't want it to happen to you."

"I see," she said. "Well, I think it's your turn to ask me a question."

He smiled, and she noticed how it lit up his entire face. "So it is." He thought for a moment. "What's the hardest thing you do every day?"

"Be a princess," she blurted, then covered her face with her hand. She felt heat creep up the back of her neck. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said that."

He continued to smile. "Why not? Is it the truth?"

She didn't have to think long about that one. "Yes?"

"Then there's nothing to be sorry about," he said reassuringly. "So, why is being a princess so hard?"

"That's a different question," she told him.

"No, it's not," he said quickly. "It's a continuation of the first one I asked."

She wasn't sure about that, but since it was his game, she didn't want to argue. Princesses didn't argue anyway….they _discussed_. "Fine. I'd have to say living up to people's expectations."

He nodded. "Makes sense. Is that all?"

No, it wasn't. She could mention pinchy shoes, tight corsets, hours of curtseying, learning ridiculous etiquette, silly nobles, rude nobles, stupid nobles…She could probably go on for hours, but she would never let herself. It would violate so many princess rules that she wouldn't even be able to count them. "Yes."

He didn't look convinced. "Right….well, it's your turn. Do you want to ask me one now?"

She glanced at the clock. It was already past 5, and she should be back at the palace getting ready for dinner. "Actually, I'd better not. I should be getting back."

Was that a hint of…..disappointment in his eyes? "Oh…okay. Well, I hope you have a good evening, Lottie."

"You too," she said. She stood up and she noticed that he did too.

"Here," he said. "Let me walk you to the door."

She was pleased by his gallantry. "Well, thank you."

He kindly escorted her to the door. "I do hope we can see each other soon, Lottie."

She couldn't help but smile. "I'd like that."

He grinned back. "Wonderful."

They exchanged goodbyes, and Lottie hurried back to the castle. While she did, she couldn't help but feel happy. Despite Tom's hard questions, she truly enjoyed her time with him.

She felt like she'd finally found a friend.


	6. Confrontation

**Chapter 5-Confrontation**

Even though Lottie had found a new friend in Tom, her life at the palace was still the same. She still was Dependable Lottie, and she continued to attend all the events that she needed to and she continued to teach Rapunzel too. Of course, that wasn't tortuous or anything, except when Rapunzel had this huge urge to babble on and on about Eugene or sketch him when she should be taking notes. But she discovered that she enjoyed teaching, and she loved all the time she had with her sister. Rapunzel was an incredibly bubbly person, and often she found herself laughing during the lessons. Yes, she couldn't be happier that Rapunzel was home.

But with Rapunzel came Flynn Rider, and she couldn't accept him like her parents had. So Lottie felt torn down the middle. She knew that Rapunzel wanted her to like Rider, she knew that her parents_ did_ like him. Yet she had such a hard time doing it. Every time she felt herself completely soften toward him, she remembered the devastated look on her mother's face when she discovered that the crown was gone. And then her walls would go back up again.

But as the days went by, the more she wished she could like him and completely accept him. It would probably make her life so much easier if she did. She was able to mask her dislike under her proper princess behavior, but it took a toll on her to act so much. She stopped making any barbed remarks too, so most of the time she thought that Rapunzel and her parents had no idea about her struggle. She thought that Rider didn't know either.

Yet the day came when she discovered that wasn't true. That particular afternoon, she decided to look up a fact about Corona law that she'd like to teach Rapunzel in their princess lessons, and she wanted to make sure she had it correct before she told her about it. So she went to the palace library. She opened the door only to see Flynn Rider there, sitting quietly and apparently reading a book. She glanced at the title. _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. _How appropriate.

He looked up at her and she flushed. "Oh, I'm sorry," she stammered, backing away. "I think I'll…." _Get out of here as soon as possible! _She had no interest in engaging in small talk with him. Rapunzel wasn't here, and so she didn't trust herself to actually be nice. Besides, she could always talk about Corona law another day…

He shut his book. "Actually, I think you'd better not," he said. "I think we need to talk about some things."

"Really?" she said innocently. "And what do we have to talk about?"

"You," he said. "And how you can't stand me."

Immediately, she denied it. Princesses weren't the kinds of people who publically disliked people. They only did that in private. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really," he said flatly. "Well, that's a surprise, considering you've actually made your disdain for me pretty clear."

She felt surprise that he'd noticed. Hadn't she vowed to herself that she wouldn't say any more barbs, for her sister's sake? "Really? And I was trying so hard to hide it."

"Well, I'd take acting lessons if I were you," he said. "Because you didn't fool me."

She flinched at the accusation, and her cheeks flushed. "Rapunzel doesn't know," she shot back.

"That's because Rapunzel is the nicest girl that ever existed," he said in a very matter a fact tone. "She thinks the best of people. And besides, you're always very subtle in your dislike of me."

Her cheeks felt hot. "I just….I just have a very hard time liking you," she said, which was probably the most truthful she'd ever been in her entire life. Maybe Tom's honesty was rubbing off on her.

He didn't look surprised at all. "I noticed. I just want to know why."

She just stared at him. Why? Was he _serious_? He wanted to know _why_? "Do you want the list alphabetically or in order of significance?"

"Whichever you prefer," he answered evenly.

Fine, she thought. She could play this game. If he wanted the truth, she'd give it. She said exactly what she was thinking in that moment. "Well, there's the minor detail of you're being Flynn Rider, who has caused nothing but headaches for Papa, and the rest of the Council. Then you stole my sister's crown, which practically broke Mama's heart. And now you're in a relationship with my sister? I'm sorry, am I supposed to be _happy_ about that? I've heard nothing, _nothing _good about you _ever." _

"And what have you heard?" he said, his expression completely impassive. It infuriated her.

"That you're one devious and conniving little bastard," she answered hotly. "Who can't be trusted within ten feet of a vault." She blinked. She couldn't believe what she'd just said. She half-expected him to yell at her. He_ should_ yell at her. What she'd said was beyond rude. Her etiquette teacher from when she was a girl, Lady Gray, would have had a fit. Princesses shouldn't even talk to their enemies like that.

But all he did was raise his eyebrow. Maybe he was used to snide comments. He probably was as a thief, she thought. For the first time, she felt sorry for him. Negative remarks were never easy to hear even if you_ were _used to them. "Is that what your Mama told you?"

"No," she said firmly. "Mama would never use words like that. I embellished a little." Mama would never even _think_ something mean. She was much too good and kind, like Rapunzel. Not like Lottie was at all.

His lips twitched, and then he smiled. And for one second she could almost see what Rapunzel did: a man who, despite his past, had a good heart deep down. "You know, you're so much like Rapunzel. All spunk."

Somehow, she knew that was a compliment. "You really like my sister, don't you?"

He smiled, a soft and happy smile that she never would have associated with Flynn Rider. "Yeah," he said. "I really love her. She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

At his words, her heart opened another crack toward him. He sounded so sincere…. "Look," she said. "I want to like you. It'd make my life so much easier if I did."

"But you don't," he said.

"No," she agreed. "I _want_ to though."

He sighed deeply. "Well, I guess that's all I can ask."

"But if you break Rapunzel's heart," she said, surprising herself once again. "I swear by everything holy I _will _break your face."

His eyes crinkled in amusement. "Well, I'll make sure that I don't then. Can't have anyone break this perfect nose, you see."

Her mouth twitched, and despite her efforts, she let out a hoarse laugh. She couldn't help it; it was such a ridiculous comment for him to make! "So, can you do something for me?"

He looked surprised, but he nodded. "Sure….." he said in a rather wary voice.

"Would you _please _tell Rapunzel to pay more attention during our lessons?" she asked. "It'd make it so much easier for me if she wasn't talking about you or drawing pictures of you all the time." She smiled. "And I know…she'll listen to you."

"I'll see what I can do," he said seriously, but his eyes were twinkling.

She continued to smile, pleased that they'd managed to make a truce. She was about to leave when suddenly the door swung open by a very eager looking Rapunzel. "Eugene, I've been…." Her voice trailed off when she saw Lottie and him together. "Oh. Am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all," she said quickly. "Eugene and I were just having a pleasant chat, isn't that right, Eugene?"

He coughed. "Um…yes, of course."

A slow smile spread across Rapunzel's face, and Lottie could tell that she knew exactly what was happening. Her sister might be a bundle of energy that radiated innocence, but she was not an idiot. To prove her smarts further, Rapunzel said nothing to betray the fact that she noticed the change. "Well, I think that's splendid. Two of my favorite people both here together in the same room. Stupendous." She giggled happily. "Anyway, Lottie, if you don't mind, Eugene said he'd go for a walk with me."

"Of course, sweetie," she said kindly. "Go ahead and have fun." She gave Eugene a smile, and she was pleased to see him smile back. "_Both_ of you."

XxXxXxXx

Soon thereafter, Lottie and Rapunzel grew to be closer friends. Eugene watched it happen, and he knew that it was partly because of his newfound truce with her. Clearly, that had been a sticky part between the two of them and now it was gone.

After that, it seemed like there was nothing that bothered Rapunzel about living here, except those occasional nightmares and they were growing less frequent.

He did not feel the same way. Oh, sure, Lottie didn't look at him like she wanted to strangle him anymore and that was a definite plus, but there were plenty of nobles here who did. They weren't…..obvious in their dislike of him, but he was a pretty good eavesdropper, and he had overheard their snide comments. Like…what did Princess Rapunzel see in him, and why didn't the King get rid of him already and find someone good enough for her? He tried to brush the comments off, but it was hard when he sometimes thought he wasn't good enough for her either.

There were other things that were hard about living here in the castle. Like how inactive he felt. He was used to life on the go, and now? Now he spent most of his days wandering around the castle, trying to figure out what to do with himself until Rapunzel was out of her lessons. It seemed like he never even did anything anymore. He did nothing all day every day, and he was decidedly inactive, which did not please him. Sometimes Eugene could swear that he was turning into a pansy.

But he put all those thoughts out of his mind. Right at the moment, he had to meet Rapunzel and her family for breakfast and he was running late. He hadn't even put on his vest yet, and he hastily buttoned it.

He frowned. Something about it didn't feel quite right. It felt….sort of tight, or at least tighter than it had in the past. Had he….somehow gained weight or something? Surely he'd been eating more, but he still couldn't believe it. So he tried on another vest, and then another and another. They all felt the same.

He walked over to the mirror and started examining himself. Sure enough, his face did look slightly rounder. Disgraceful. Great, he thought. So not only was he turning into a pansy, but he was a_ fat_ pansy too.

How the mighty have fallen! Flynn would have been disgusted.

Eugene was pretty disgusted too. He kept looking at himself this way and that, grunting all the while.

"Eugene, what are you _doing_?"

He turned to see Rapunzel standing in the doorway, staring at him with a bemused expression on her face.

"No…nothing," he stammered. "I'm just getting ready for you know….breakfast."

"Right," she said with a raised eyebrow. "And that usually involves you standing in front of your mirror for twenty minutes?"

Had she really been standing there that long? How embarrassing! Of course he spent time on his appearance, but it was supposed to look effortless- like he just woke up in the morning with superb looks. That was part of his charm. He was _so _busted. "Well, not usually."

She crossed her arms. "So why is it longer today?"

"No reason," he said. "I just wanted to look extra good for your family."

"I see." She cocked her head thoughtfully. "You know, Eugene, you're a really_ bad_ liar."

"What are you talking about, Rapunzel?" he said innocently.

She went over to his bed, and gathered up all the vests there. "Normally, I'd believe you about that, but it's not like you to try on every single vest in your closet. So, want to fill me in on your secret?"

He sighed. He found it very hard to lie to her, and today was no exception. "Do I look….bigger to you?" He refused to say the word fat.

Now Rapunzel looked as stunned as if he'd hit her with a frying pan. She dropped the clothes back on the bed and stared at him. "Do you look…_what_?"

He stared at the floor and shifted his feet. "More round?"

He saw her blink when he looked back up at her. "More round?" Then understanding dawned on her. "Eugene….are you asking me if you look_ fat_?"

"Um….." Um wasn't a yes, but he knew she'd take it as one.

She did. "Why, Eugene Fitzherbert, I believe you're vain."

She just now noticed that? "I'm not," he mumbled. "I just don't want to be fat."

An amused expression crossed her face, and she giggled. "Well, most people don't, Eugene," she said. "But if you really care that much, I'll consider it." She started studying him, cocking her head this way and that. He watched her as she did, wondering if he should feel uncomfortable. He didn't. "Okay, Eugene."

"O…kay?" he repeated.

"Yes, I have your verdict," she said. "And yes, you have filled out-…"

He groaned. "Ugh…."

"You didn't let me finish," she said. "But you look healthier. Before you were…probably skinny because you didn't eat very much, right?"

She was absolutely right. Usually it'd be like bread and cheese here, an apple there… "Right."

"And now you eat more, because you can," she said. She squinted at him."That's what I think anyway." She smiled. "But you look good."

He smirked at her. "Yeah?"

Her cheeks turned pink. "Yes. But you should know something."

"What's that?"

"I don't know why you're so worked up about it," she said. "But you should know that you _could _get fat and it wouldn't matter to me."

His heart warmed at that. Of course he had no intention of getting fat, but it was nice to know that it wouldn't matter to her. "Really?"

"Yes," she said. "I love you. That's just the way it is."

"Well, I love you, too, Rapunzel," he told her. He looked at her thoughtfully. "You look exactly the same though."

She laughed. "That's because I had _food,_ Eugene. And I ate it. It wasn't like Mo-" She stopped herself and he noticed that she frowned slightly. "I mean, Gothel didn't let me go hungry."

Well, at least that was one thing she did right. "Glad to hear it."

She nodded briefly. "So can we go eat now? I'm starving!"

He chuckled. "Sure. Lead the way."

"Good." She took his hand and they started walking toward the dining room. Rapunzel started smiling in her typical happy way, but he kept thinking about one of the things she said:

_I love you. That's just the way it is. _

Surely he was the luckiest person in the world to have someone as sweet and loving as her.

XxXxXxXx

For Rapunzel, she quickly found that Eugene's presence was a huge help to her adjustment to palace life, especially when she continued with her princess lessons and when she had her horrible tower nightmares. Because of him, she managed to settle into a new normal after a few weeks. During the week, she spent most of her days in lessons: geography lessons, government lessons, arithmetic lessons, history lessons….it never ended. There were also her "princess" lessons with Lottie. Truthfully, that was probably one of her favorite ones. The content didn't particularly interest her, but she did enjoy the time spent with her sister. Besides, Lottie was fairly patient, and she seemed to agree with Rapunzel that most of it was really silly, though she'd never say so outright. She was perfectly schooled as the diplomatic princess.

After lessons, Rapunzel usually met Eugene for a while before dinner. She looked forward to those meetings in the gardens a lot. Although her lessons were okay sometimes, she missed the time that she could have spent with him. Those two hours before dinner were probably the best and happiest times of her entire week. He always managed to make everything…better and he was often in tune with her moods. Like if she was happy, he was. If she was discouraged, he would cheer her up. She didn't even know if she could express how much she appreciated him.

One particular afternoon, he seemed a little more serious than usual though. She tried to feel him out as to what was wrong, but he wasn't offering anything. So she changed the subject and just talked about her lessons while he listened quietly. But she decided to ask him something. Surely he couldn't not answer this one. He'd answered it when Lottie asked it. "How do you like it here, Eugene?"

"How do _you_ like it here?" he threw back at her.

She wanted to roll her eyes in aggravation. Was that question too hard to answer for him or something? She decided to answer his anyway, despite the fact that he hadn't answered hers. "I like it!" she said. "Well, everything except the lessons and shoes. But everything else is stupendous!" He laughed at her use of his word. "How about you?

"Oh, same as you," he said quickly. "It's….stupendous."

Rapunzel wasn't convinced at all. If he did believe that, he would have answered it the first time. "Is that what you truly think, Eugene?"

"No," he said slowly. "It's…not."

She was pleased that he told the truth this time. "Okay," she said. "So do you want me to ask that question again? How do you like it here?"

"Um well?" he said. "Sometimes….." He paused. "Sometimes it isn't fun to be around some of the people in the palace, with the…ways they look at me."

She nodded, and raised her eyebrows. She hoped he'd continue. This was the most honest he'd been in a while. "I just….I just don't belong here, Rapunzel. Everyone's just …so, so noble, Rapunzel and…" He sighed. "I'm not."

Rapunzel said nothing. His almost deflated shoulders and sudden interest in his hands reminded her of the campfire when he told her about his childhood. He'd looked positively sorrowful then, and his appearance was the same way now. Apparently he was miserable here, and she had been so completely wrapped up in her princess lessons that she hadn't even noticed. A rush of remorse swept over her, but she had no idea what to say that could make him feel better. So instead of reciting many platitudes, she put her arms around his waist in a loving embrace. He let out a tense breath, and wrapped his own arms around her, resting his chin lightly on her hair.

Rapunzel still hadn't said anything, but she hoped he knew that by hugging him she was telling him that it didn't matter whether he was noble or not. She loved him just the same. In fact, she wasn't entirely sure that she liked nobles anyway. Most of them weren't noble of heart.

The way her Eugene was.

After a few moments, she broke the silence as what to say finally came to her. "Eugene," Rapunzel said quietly. "Do you know what your name means?"

Eugene assumed that wasn't a rhetorical question. Rapunzel wasn't the kind of girl who asked a question for no reason, even if it did seem rather odd. What did his name have to do with anything? In any event, he knew what Eugene meant. His mother had made sure of that. "Um….well-born?"

She smiled. "Yes…" She pulled away slightly, and put her hand on his cheek. "It also means noble, too."

"Yeah,...?" He had to confess that thoughts of his nobility (or lack of it) and his name were far from his mind now. Instead, he was wondering what she'd think if he closed the small gap between their faces and kissed her. She was so tantalizingly close…

"And you are, Eugene." She blinked. "You might not be of noble blood, or anything like that, and you might not have a title, but you are anyway." She took her hand and put in on his heart. "Here, where it counts. Don't you know that?"

"I do now," he said. He leaned forward, put his _own _hand on her cheek, and gently kissed her. Sweetly, she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back. For a few moments, the only sounds were the birds chirping in the trees. Eventually, though, he broke away and looked at her.

A happy smile lit up her face and he felt himself smile too. "Do you feel better now?"

He knew that she meant after her kind words, but he winked at her suavely instead. "Oh yes."

Her cheeks turned pink, but she giggled girlishly. "I meant after what I told you," she said. "You know, about being noble."

He had known that's what she meant, yet he still felt some twinges…of something, despite what she'd said. "Yes," he answered. "But it's still hard sometimes. I mean…." He paused. "Some nobles aren't exactly _subtle _in their dislike of me."

Rapunzel frowned thoughtfully. "That's true….." She sat up straight. "Well, there's only one thing to do, Eugene."

"And what's that?" he asked.

"Be in your own bubble."

He laughed. "My own….bubble?"

She nodded enthusiastically, warming to her idea. "Yes! Remind yourself of how much we all love you, and just let their negative comments bounce right off you."

"Bounce….off me?" He knew he sounded sort of silly, but he was having trouble completely understanding what she meant now.

"Yes!" she said. "They're wrong, and besides that, who cares what a bunch of rude nobles think anyway?"

The way she said it made him want to stop caring about what they thought. But he couldn't. He knew that they didn't think he was good enough for her. It was hard to knock out those voices when he sometimes thought the same thing himself. He was a thief. She was a princess. It didn't take a Socrates to see that one of these things was radically different than the other.

Rapunzel looked at him in concern. "Right, Eugene?"

It would be so easy to smile and say yes. "Rapunzel…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's….not that easy. They don't think…" _They don't think I'm good enough for you._

Rapunzel's eyes widened and then she breathed out heavily. "Have you been listening to anything I've said, Eugene?"

"Of course I have."

"No, you haven't," she said. "You've_ heard_, but you haven't _listened_!"

There was a difference between hearing and listening? He could easily recite what she just said. "I haven't?"

"No," she insisted. "You haven't. So you're going to do something for me. It's very easy."

He hoped it might involve kissing her again. She was so adorably attractive when she was riled up about something. "Okay…"

"You're going to repeat after me these sentences," she said. "I am Eugene Fitzherbert." He stared at her. What in the world was she talking about?

She huffed out a sigh. "Come on, Eugene. I'm not going to let you go have dinner until you do this. So?"

He_ was_ rather hungry. "Fine," he said. "I am Eugene Fitzherbert."

"I am smart, sweet, and wonderful…"

That was easy. He was definitely all those things. "I am smart, sweet, and wonderful…"

"I am noble of heart, and I have proven that. So I am good enough for Princess Rapunzel…"

"I am noble of heart, and I have proven that. So I am good enough for Princess Rapunzel…"

"….I will not let my past define me, and I know that Rapunzel will never ever want to marry someone else because I am her new dream and she will love me until the day she dies…" He looked at her sideways. She wanted to marry him? His heart warmed to the thought of it. "Just say it, Eugene," she said softly.

"….I will not let my past define me, and I know that Rapunzel will never ever want to marry someone else because I am her new dream and she will love me until the day she dies," he repeated.

"Good," she said, pleased. "Now you say that to yourself every morning when you wake up until it gets through that thick head of yours. Okay? Promise?"

"I promise."

She smiled and stood up. "Excellent. Now let's go have dinner, all right? I'm starved!" She held out her hand.

He took it. After all, he couldn't turn down an offer like that.

XxXxXxXx

That night, Lottie thought about how much she liked to sleep. Maybe that wasn't entirely accurate. It was more like Lottie _loved _to sleep. It was one of the few times in her life when she didn't have to worry about acting like the perfect princess or saying appropriate things at the appropriate times. She was finally free. She relished sleep, and she hated it when her sleep was disturbed. Lottie soon dozed off.

She was deep in slumber when a scream woke her up. She groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. Yet she heard it again, and this time she knew it was Rapunzel. Her sisterly heart couldn't bear to hear it. So she jumped out of bed, and pulled on her robe. She opened her door, and rushed down the hallway to Rapunzel's room. She would normally knock, but she didn't in this instance. Instead, she went right in and saw Rapunzel sitting up in her bed, her face buried in her knees. And she was sobbing.

Lottie's heart went out to her and she sat next to her. Reassuringly, she patted her back, trying to make her feel better. But she soon found that no matter what she did, she wasn't able to stop Rapunzel's tears. She tried to hug her, say calming things, everything. Nothing worked. She could only watch her sob, completely helpless. It was the worst feeling in the world.

_Get Eugene._

She stroked Rapunzel's back, ignoring her gut feeling. "Please, sweetie," she coaxed. "Talk to me." Rapunzel just shook her head and cried.

_Get Eugene. _

Finally, she gave in to what her heart was telling her and stood up. Maybe Eugene_ would_ be able to help her better than she could. "I'll be right back."

She flew down to the halls to his room, and as soon as she reached it, she started banging on the door. She didn't _want _to, but it was the only way to wake him up without having to go inside.

She kept banging until he opened the door, looking slightly annoyed. "Lottie, what-…"

"I'm so sorry to wake you up," she said hastily. "But it's Rapunzel. She's crying and no matter what I do, I can't get her to stop!"

The annoyance vanished and was replaced by concern. "Where is she?"

"In her room," she answered and he started walking down the hallway with quick strides. She hastened to keep up with him. "I heard her screaming and I went to her, and then she was crying and-…." She realized she was babbling, and she made herself stop. "Anyway, I thought you could help her." He nodded, but he didn't say anything.

Soon they reached her room, and Rapunzel was still crying- almost wailing. It broke Lottie's heart to hear her like that. She glanced at Eugene, but he seemed completely calm. It bewildered her. Had this somehow happened before and she'd just missed it?

He walked over to the bed, and sat next to her. "Rapunzel…." She looked at him with teary eyes, and Lottie saw how her expression immediately brightened. She still looked sad of course, but the worst was clearly past. "What happened?" Eugene asked her softly.

She let out a sob and put a hand to her face. "I was in the tower and-…."

At that one word, Eugene had pulled her into his arms and started stroking her hair. "Shhh, I'm here."

"Eu-Eugene…" she whimpered, clinging to him.

He drew her closer and Rapunzel buried her head in his shoulder. "It's going to be okay," he assured her.

Lottie looked at them with a mixture of confusion and relief. Eugene was calming her down, just like she hoped he would, and Rapunzel would be all right.

But what was the tower? What had happened there to make her sister so upset?

She continued to watch them for a few more moments before she went back to her own room, leaving them alone to comfort each other from a horror that only the two of them knew.

XxXxXxXx

At breakfast the next morning, Lottie wasn't surprised to see Rapunzel and Eugene looking tired. Rapunzel's eyes-even now- were still slightly red, and Eugene's haggard. Her parents noticed, but they didn't say anything, once again showing their wisdom. Instead, they talked about the weather, and their plans for the day. Rapunzel and Eugene didn't say too much, and so Lottie tried to fill in the gaps. But it was hard talking for three people, and she was relieved when the meal finally ended and they could now go their separate ways. She watched Rapunzel leave the room, but she caught Eugene before he left too. She needed to tell him how grateful she was for his help last night. "Wait, Eugene," she said. He stopped and turned to look at her questioningly. "I just…" She hesitated. "I wanted to say thank you. For last night. And I'm very sorry for waking you up."

He smiled slightly. "That's okay," he said. "I'm glad you came and told me."

Somehow she had a feeling that this had happened before. Eugene's lack of panic last night made her sure of that. Poor, poor Rapunzel…. "Does…last night happen a lot?"

He let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "More often than I'd like."

She looked at him in surprise. She had no idea how Rapunzel could stay so perky with nightmares like that. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said. "But usually it isn't so….bad. And usually she comes to me first."

"And what do you do?"

He shrugged. "Just try to soothe her and stuff."

She wasn't sure what 'stuff' was. She wasn't sure if she should be concerned or not. "Um…stuff?" she asked, looking closely at him.

He laughed a little. "You don't have to look at me like you want to hit me with a frying pan. All I mean is I hold her until she falls asleep."

"Oh…" she said. That was fine; she'd seen him do that last night. The thought occurred to her that Rapunzel was lucky to have somebody like Eugene in her life, to comfort her, help her….Sometimes-no often-she wished she had a person like that too. She bit her lip. "You know, Eugene, I haven't said this before, but I'm glad that Rapunzel has you. You're….good for her. She's lucky."

He smiled then, a smile that went all the way to his eyes. "Thank you."

"It's true," she said. "And you know….whatever happened it the tower…Well. I'm sorry about that too. It must have been horrible."

At her words, a shadow passed over his face. "It was. But you know, I don't really want to talk about that."

She blinked. "Oh, of course." She was incredibly curious now at his reaction, but she respected his wishes. She had to go anyway, and prepare for Rapunzel's lesson. "Anyway, I have to go now, but I'll see you at lunch, right?"

The smile returned to his face. "Yes, of course. Bye Lottie."

She gave him one more smile before she left.

XxXxXxXx

During the day, Eugene couldn't help but be a little concerned about Rapunzel. Her nightmare last night had been particularly bad, and he had to wonder what had prompted it. She hadn't had one in at least a week, and he'd thought she'd been improving. So that afternoon, when Rapunzel met Eugene, he couldn't help but ask her about last night after they greeted each other. "What happened last night, Rapunzel?"

She sighed. "I had my nightmare again, Eugene."

He knew that. He'd been there, had hugged her until she stopped crying, held her until she'd fallen asleep. "Did anything prompt it?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so…." Then she paused thoughtfully. "Well, I did hear two nobles talking yesterday about how they wished Flynn_ had_ been hung."

That could do it, he was sure. "That's probably why, Rapunzel."

"Yes, I guess so," she said slowly.

Her face grew sad, and he scrambled for something to say that might cheer her all, he hadn't brought it up because he wanted to see her cry again. "You know, Lottie said something really nice to me today."

"What did she say?" she asked.

"She said she was glad you had me because I was good for you. And you're lucky to have me." At the memory, he smiled. It had meant a lot, coming from Lottie, especially when she hadn't even liked him at first.

She nodded. "I am. She's right about that." She stopped for a minute. "She was so nice to me last night. She came to my room after my nightmare and tried to make me feel better."

"I know. She came to get me too."

"Is that why you came?" she asked. "It seemed like I was wishing that you would, and then there you were."

"Yes," he said. "She came, pounding on my door, telling me that you were crying." He looked at her, remembering her anxious face . "I think she was really worried about you."

Her expression was serious. "Yes," she said. "She probably was. I remember her being there, but I just couldn't stop crying until you came."

He sighed. He wished more than anything that he could stop these dreams for her. He hated seeing her look so sad. "Rapunzel…" he said. "Why do you think you keep having these dreams?"

Her eyes grew misty. "Because…because I'm so afraid that I'll lose you, Eugene."

He immediately put his arms around her, and held her close. She buried her face in his shoulder as he tried to come up with the right thing to say. "You _won't _lose me, Blondie," he whispered in her ear. "I'll never leave you."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "You promise?'

"I promise."

She hugged him again, putting her hands around his neck. But he thought that she felt better now.

Because surely she knew that when he promised something to her, he wouldn't break it. Ever.


	7. Dependable

**Chapter 6-Dependable**

As the days went on, Lottie found herself struggling- and she didn't know exactly why. Maybe it was those times with Tom, with his consistent challenges for her to be both honest with herself and with others- and his constant question to her: _Is it the truth_. Maybe it was watching Rapunzel and Eugene continued to fall more in love every day, while she remained alone. Maybe it was the increasing demands on her as a princess.

Whatever it was though, she just couldn't stand her life anymore. She kept being the good princess she knew she should be, but every day she grew more tired of it. So whenever she had an opportunity she snuck off to see Tom.

She thought that her parents would be angry, but they didn't even notice. They were too busy with getting to know Rapunzel and making sure she had everything she needed to miss Lottie.

That was both good and bad. It was good because it was nice to have a little space. But it was bad because she felt like the only times they talked to her anymore was to ask her to do something, typically involving some annoying noble or another- or doing some task that they knew full well that she'd hate. It was dealing with those nobles that bothered her the most though. Nobody, including her parents, wanted to deal with them, and so they asked her to do it. It made her feel like she was the dumping girl- like anything anyone did not wanted to do, they dumped on her. Sometimes she grew so very tired of it. It seemed anytime she took a few moments to do something for herself, like read a book or practice the pianoforte, someone would come and tell her that there was yet another thing they needed her to do. She found it very difficult and she might have lost her mind somewhere if she hadn't kept seeing Tom.

He was her island of sanity, and she always enjoyed the time she spent with him. He was probably the best friend she'd ever had. Besides that, there was the fact that they told each other lots of things. After only a few weeks, she felt like she knew Tom better than many of the nobles she'd known her whole life and it was mostly because of his game. She knew what he liked, what he didn't like, his dreams….the fact that he loved to write, and had a fetish for coffee. She always encouraged him to write a book because she wanted to see someone achieve their dreams. Yes, she knew him very well know. And he probably knew her better than anyone too. Besides that, she could tell him things. He was a great listener, and he never seemed to judge her.

One day, she decided to tell him how she felt about being the "dumping girl" and how frustrating it was. He listened quietly. "So…what are you thinking, Tom?" she asked hesitantly after she finished.

He looked thoughtful. "I can understand why you feel like that, but I think you're not taking it the right way."

"I'm not?" What was open to interpretation? They gave her annoying princess stuff to do because  
they knew she'd do it. End of story.

"No," he said. "You should see it as….almost a compliment."

Lottie felt like Tom was speaking Greek to her. "I should?" she repeated.

"Yes," he said. He noticed her confused expression, and he explained what he meant. "Lottie, they keep asking you to do more because they know you can do it. Don't you see? You're so competent as a princess that you can handle more."

"I can?" Was she even capable of any sentence longer than two words now?

"Yes, you can," he said. "But if they ask you to do something you don't want to do, then ask if anyone else can do it."

Lottie found that very amusing- because in what universe could she do that? "I can't and you know it." _Rule number 11- Princesses never say no. _

"Well, then don't complain later about it," he retorted. She just stared at him, surprised at his tone, and his voice immediately softened. "Look, Lottie, I understand that you have a hard time saying no to people, but you're going to keep feeling like this until you do." He looked at her kindly. "But it _is _okay to do that every once in a while, you know. I give you permission."

"Tom-…." She began, about to list off all the reasons why she shouldn't do what he said.

"Just think about it, okay, Lottie?" he interjected. "Please?"

"All right." She _was_ thinking about it. She thought he was crazy. Soon after that she excused herself, saying that she needed to go back home, all the while wishing that she really _could_ do what he said.

But she knew that, in her typical way, she'd say nothing and continue to stuff it down.

It was just what she did.

XxXxXxXxXx

Meanwhile, Eugene couldn't decide what to think about his new life in the palace. Well, he knew he loved being with Rapunzel, and he was even growing fond of her entire family. But he soon discovered that Rapunzel was busy nearly all the time between her lessons and all the demands of being a princess. Sometimes he felt like he never even saw her anymore except for their brief visits in the afternoon. Beyond that, those short visits were one of the only things he did all day- and he found himself growing more and more bored as the days went on. He also felt lazy, which surprisingly troubled him. Maybe it was because he wanted to be lazy, but not….._lazy_. He didn't want to feel insignificant or useless, which he sometimes felt here. Besides being here for Rapunzel, he didn't have a role at all. It bothered him tremendously, and as the days went on, it was increasingly hard for him to hide.

One afternoon, when he was meeting with Rapunzel, he sat next to her and listened to her talk all about her lessons. But inwardly, he felt somewhere far, far away.

"Eugene, are you listening to me?"

He blinked, reminding himself that he was with Rapunzel now so he should focus on her. "Um, of course I was."

She looked closely at him. "Then what did I just say?"

He had no idea, because he _hadn't _been listening. "Um…."

A concern look crossed her face. "Eugene, are you okay? Is there something bothering you?"

It was crazy how well she knew him already. He always considered himself a mysterious enigma, but she seemed to read him as easily as….well, a book. She was able to see what was inside his head so well that there wasn't any point in lying. "I just am….bored."

Her expression clearly said that she found that incomprehensible. It was probably because she had so many of those stupid princess lessons. Personally, he thought she was the perfect princess already. She didn't need to be taught anything. "Bored?"

"Well, yes," he said. "I mean, there's only so many times you can wander around the castle all day every day before it gets dull." He forced himself to laugh.

"Go on," she urged.

"And well….I'm used to more action and life on the go. This living in a castle stuff is all new to me." He shrugged. "Besides, you're so busy with your lessons…it's like I never get to-…" He stopped himself there. It was much too close to whining, and he was_ not_ a whiner. Besides, it wasn't as if Rapunzel had much choice in the matter. She _had_ to go to her lessons, whether he liked it or not. But he still felt like he never got to see her anymore. He missed her, even though she was sitting right next to him.

She was quiet for a moment, and he assumed she was thinking. "Yes, that is a problem, now isn't it?" she said, half to herself. She smiled at him. "Well, I'll see what I can do, Eugene."

"You will?" he asked her in surprise. "But what can you do? Can you magically conjure up excitement? And if you do, can you…maybe bottle it and sell it?" He warmed to his lunatic remarks. 'Cause then we could totally make a fortune and go on the road and-…"

She rolled her eyes. Clearly she didn't find his comments as witty as he did. "Eugene, do you trust me?"

"Implicitly."

"Good," she said. "Then stop talking nonsense and kiss me."

He was happy to oblige.

XxXxXxXx

Throughout the next day, Eugene couldn't help but wonder what Rapunzel was thinking. He knew she was trying to do something to help him adjust to life here, and he loved her for it. But he couldn't help but hope that it was something he'd actually like. Rapunzel had the tendency of bringing out the best in him by forcing him to do good things that he wouldn't normally do. He couldn't help but think that this might be another occasion of that.

Therefore, it was with some amount of trepidation that he went to their afternoon meeting in the garden. When Rapunzel came, he made chit-chatty remarks in an attempt to delay the inevitable.

Rapunzel would have none of it, and quickly changed the subject back to yesterday's conversation. "So, Eugene," she said. "I've been thinking about your problem."

He knew she would. When she said she'd do something, she would. That's just the way she was. Typical Rapunzel. "And?" He tried to keep that careless air in his voice, like he really couldn't be bothered either way. It was a Flynn Rider staple, and he was rather proud of it.

"And I have two things to tell you," she said, completely unimpressed by his act. Also typical of her. "First, I talked to Lottie and Mama and they said I could take off the day tomorrow from my lessons and be with you instead."

A whole day with Rapunzel? He felt a large rush of excitement. "Really?"

"Yes," she said. "And the other is this. I've been thinking about what you told me and I think you're bored because you don't have enough to do."

"Hey!" he protested, even though she was absolutely right. "Being lazy is an art form. I've _mastered _it."

"Whatever, Eugene," she said with a slight eye roll. "You can think that if you want to. But I talked to Mrs. Everhart over at the Corona orphanage and told her you'd be happy to help out."

He stared at her. The orphanage? That was so much worse than anything he'd come up with! He _hated _being there most of the time, and he never wanted to go back. "You did…_what_?"

"I talked to Mrs. Everhart over at the-…." She repeated as if he hadn't heard her.

He waved his hands to stop her. "I heard that. But I can't believe you'd say I'd do it."

"Why not?" she asked innocently. "You said you were bored. So I found something for you to do."

She made it sound so simple even though it was not. Nothing was simple about a return to the orphanage. "But I don't _want_ to do that," he insisted. "I won't like it."

"How do you know you won't like it if you won't try it?" she asked logically.

"I just do," he said stubbornly. Sometimes he_ would_ have to say no to her and this would be one of those times. He would not budge.

"Eugene," she said patiently. "All you have to do is play with the kids, and maybe read to them. You did that before. Why is this different?"

"It just is." That wasn't an explanation, but he wouldn't be able to come up with one that would satisfy her anyway. Rapunzel could be a complete bulldog sometimes when she wanted something, and he knew she wanted this.

"Okay, how about this," she offered. "I'll go _with _you the first time, and if you don't like it, I'll try to find something else for you to do."

"Rapunzel-…."

She looked at him again, with her adorable Rapunzel big eyes that he never could resist. Oh, he was a goner now. Did she know how completely wrapped around her finger he was? "Please?"

He sighed in resignation and gave in. So much for his resolution. "Fine. I'll go."

She squealed and hugged him. "Oh thank you, Eugene!" She pulled away and smiled. "You won't regret this."

He already did. "But I'm telling you now that I'm not going to like it."

"Okay, Eugene."

"And I'm not going to go back."

She just smiled, like she had some kind of secret. "Whatever you say, Eugene. You know best."

Well, it's about time she realized that.

XxXxXxXx

Lottie hadn't minded giving Rapunzel a day off at all. She'd worked so hard on her lessons, and she deserved a treat. Besides, Eugene had looked a little forlorn lately, and she figured he missed her. It'd be nice for them to have a day together.

And she herself got an afternoon off too. She knew just how she wanted to spend it too- in the garden, reading a book. That's exactly what she did. She settled next to her special tree with her book, looking forward to a little peace and quiet. It was so nice to have an afternoon off. She didn't mind teaching Rapunzel, but it was nice to have a break every once in a while. She had just begun reading the first page of _Le Morte d'Arthur _when she heard her mother calling. She silently groaned. Was it too much to ask for her to have a few moments to herself for once, she thought sourly. She didn't bother answering. Mama knew where her special place in the garden was and she'd find her soon enough.

Which she did. "Oh, good, Lottie," Mama said. "I've been looking for you."

Lottie closed her book. _So much for my nice quiet read, _she thought. "Yes, Mama?" she asked with infinite patience.

"I was just wondering if we could talk about your maid," she said.

"My…maid?" What could Mama be talking about? Catherine consistently worked hard and one of the kindest women she knew. She was the best maid she'd ever had.

"Yes," Mama continued. "You know, Rapunzel doesn't have one, and I was thinking that since Catherine's so experienced…." She paused for a minute. "That maybe she could maybe work for her a while."

Her mouth went dry and she licked her lip. She didn't particularly want to change maids. There'd been years of absolutely dreadful ones before Catherine came. "Um…"

"Of course you don't mind," Mama said confidently. "Do you?"

Now, what could she say to that? No, I do mind? If she said that, she'd come across as a total brat. She _hated _when people asked questions like that, because they weren't really asking. They were telling. Mama was _telling _her that she didn't mind. Even though Lottie did in truth. She did a lot. But she would never _ever_ say that she did. "No," she managed to say. "I don't."

Instantly, Mama looked relieved. "Good," she said. "Thank you, Lottie. I knew I could count on you."

"Of course." _Good old dependable me, _she thought. Being dependable was a good thing, she knew. So why didn't she feel better about it?


	8. Surprise

**Chapter 7-Surprise**

Once Rapunzel knew that she'd have a day off with Eugene, she began counting the minutes down mentally in her head. She didn't mind most of her lessons or anything like that, but she had missed seeing Eugene. The hour or two they had together here and there just wasn't enough for her. She had a feeling it was the same for him, or why else would he have said that she was so busy with her lessons? She knew that behind that, he was saying that he missed her. But naturally, he hadn't said that outright, probably because it'd appear weak or something. Honestly, Eugene thought the strangest things sometimes. If he missed her, why didn't he just say so? If he was miserable, why didn't he just tell her?

But in typical Eugene fashion, he didn't do that. He said something that danced around the truth, but wasn't quite there. He was very good at being evasive, especially when he came to his feelings. She guessed it was a leftover from his Flynn days. Or maybe it was just a male thing. Either way, she had decided that often you had to read between the lines with him- or maybe it was more like you had to try to figure out what he wasn't saying. That usually was more important than what he did.

It was hard, but she was getting better at it all the time. Besides, she loved him. So it was all worth it to her. She did wish that he would simply tell her outright how he felt, and she resolved to get him talking on their day came. She wasn't sure how to do that, but she had some ideas.

Soon their day came, and in the morning after breakfast, they set out to the lake with a picnic lunch. As they walked, Rapunzel gazed at Eugene out of the corner of her eye. He looked okay, even had a slight twinkle in his eye that had been missing in the past few days. She smiled to herself. It was going to be a good day.

"It's good to see you smiling, Rapunzel."

She glanced over at him. He was smiling now too. It warmed her heart. "You too, Eugene."

He grinned again, and he reached out and took her hand. They walked the rest of the way to the lake in silence, but Rapunzel didn't mind at all. All she needed was for Eugene to be happier today and he was.

Right now, that was all that really mattered.

XxXxXxXx

Once they reached the lake, they left their picnic basket and went walking around, just laughing and talking. Eventually though, Rapunzel grew hungry and they headed back and ate their lunch. After they finished, she sighed. "This is so nice, Eugene."

"It is…"

"No lessons, no nobles….," she said, and gave him a smile. "Just you and me."

"Yes…" he agreed. He sprawled out, resting his head in her lap. He smiled up at her. "Do you mind?"

She was quick to assure him. "No, of course not, Eugene." She didn't tell him that it reminded her too much of the tower. But he was alive and nothing was going to happen to him. She was sure of that. They were both quiet, and Rapunzel wondered if now was a good time to really talk to him. He seemed in an okay mood….. "Eugene, how are you? Really?"

His eyes had shut slightly, but now they popped back open. "That's a weird question, Rapunzel," he said. "What makes you ask that?"

"You just…you just haven't seemed completely yourself since we got here," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "I haven't?"

"No," she insisted. He opened his mouth to protest, and she had a feeling he was about to argue with her. "Eugene, I'm just asking because I love you. I want to see you happy, and I worry that you're not." She bit her lip. "So, please. Be honest with me."

He was silent. She waited patiently for him to say something, barely daring to move. "You're very observant, Rapunzel," he said at last.

"Um…thank you." Was he finally going to tell her the truth? "So, do you want to tell me how you really feel now?"

He sat up and looked at her. "Can't you guess?"

She wasn't sure she wanted to do a guessing game with him. But still, if this was the way to get him to talk, then she'd play."Fine," she said. "You're lonely, you miss me because I'm at my lessons most of the time, you don't like the nobles because they make you feel inferior, and you're bored because you don't have enough to do and _that _makes you feel useless. And you probably miss the road too, and all that excitement." She watched his eyes widen, and she knew she'd nailed it. She couldn't help but feel a small twinge of satisfaction. "Did I leave anything out?"

"No," he said.

"And I have the impression that if you could leave here, you would," she continued. Flynn probably would have left eons ago.

"Yes….." he admitted slowly.

Hearing that from him affected her more than she thought it would. She guessed of course, but knowing that it was true made her heart ache. She felt awful that he was so miserable here. "So why haven't you?" she said softly.

"Ah, Rapunzel," he said with a slight shake of his head. "You should know the answer to that."

"Which is?"

He looked tenderly at her. "You," he said. "I can't leave_ you_."

"Why not?" she whispered.

He reached out and trailed his fingers on the side of her face. "Because I love you," he said. "I….I _need _you."

She blinked back sudden tears. She needed him too. She wondered if he knew that, or how much he'd helped her adjust to life here. He noticed, and pulled her close to him. "Besides, I promised you I'd never leave you."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," she said. She was very happy to hear it, but she looked at him seriously. "But I still want you to be happy."

"I am happy," he said. "If you're here, I'm happy."

She didn't quite believe him, but she still felt better and more reassured than she had this morning. "Are you sure, Eugene?" she asked. "Is there…anything I can do for you?"

He grinned mischievously. "Yeah." Then he leaned in closer and kissed her.

Well, that wasn't quite what she was thinking, but she'd take it.

XxXxXxXx

Eugene thought that the rest of the day just improved from there. They walked around the lake again holding hands, and he picked her some flowers- which she loved. Then they laughed and talked some more.

It was perfect. But it was the next day now, and they were walking to the orphanage. He was not looking forward to it in the slightest. He didn't _want_ to go back to the orphanage, and he wouldn't have done it if Rapunzel hadn't begged him to, with those big green eyes staring at him, pleading with him to say yes…..

Well, let's just say he couldn't say no to her. Saying no might make her cry, and he couldn't stand to see her cry either. Besides, he knew she was only trying to help him, even if he couldn't see how revisiting his past would help. There were parts of life at the orphanage that had been tolerable, but for the most part it had been lonely and isolating. Some of the worst moments in his life were spent in that place. And now Rapunzel wanted him to go back there?

He sighed. He didn't know how he could do this. Suddenly, he felt her hand take his and squeeze it, like she knew just what he was thinking. She probably did. He wrapped his fingers around hers. He looked at her, and she was smiling. "It's going to be all right, Eugene," she said.

"Right…." Isn't that what she'd said when he was dying in the tower?

They walked the rest of the way there in silence. When they finally reached the door, he just stared at it. In his mind, he could remember coming here after his Mama died…..

"Eugene."

He heard Rapunzel calling him. "Yes?"

"Are you going to knock?" she asked, concerned.

He blinked. "Of course." He raised his hand and knocked on the door. A middle-aged woman opened it and immediately smiled. He noticed how kind and welcoming her eyes were, and he couldn't help but wonder where this woman had been when he'd lived here.

"Well, come on in," she said, gesturing them inside. "You must be Princess Rapunzel."

She nodded and smiled. She gave a little curtsy. Probably something Lottie had told her to do. "Yes. It's a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Everhart. Thank you so much for having us." Her voice was even more gracious than it was normally and she sounded like….a princess. Indeed, Lottie was very good at what she did.

Mrs. Everhart's face lit up in a smile. "Oh, now we are so glad to have you, Princess." She turned to him. "And you must be Eugene. We're so glad you're here!"

"Thank you." He wished he could say the same. Of course, it wasn't Mrs. Everhart's fault that he couldn't stand this place.

"So, Eugene," Mrs. Everhart said. "I was thinking that you could maybe…do something with the children while you're here. Maybe read to them?"

He blinked, and glanced over at Rapunzel. Had she told them that he'd done that before? She smiled encouragingly. "Um…okay," he said. "I guess I could do that."

She beamed. "Wonderful. Well, just follow me, and I'll introduce you."

"Okay," he said. She started walking and he followed her into a room full of young boys and girls. When he looked at them, he could see himself. They had that same guarded expression that he'd worn for many years. It was…very difficult to remember, and all he wanted to do was bolt. He felt Rapunzel take his hand again.

"Boys and girls," said Mrs. Everhart. "We have a very special guest today." She gestured to him and Rapunzel. "This is Princess Rapunzel, and her….um…friend, Eugene Fitzherbert. He's going to read a story to you today." She handed him a book and he glanced at it. He almost laughed. _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. _

Rapunzel nudged him with her elbow, probably because he'd been staring at the book for at least a minute. "Um….yes," he said. "This is a great book, one of my favorites. And I'm happy to read it to you."

Happy was a stretch, but oh well. He sat down, and with little more introduction than that, he started to read it to them. He glanced up every once and a while. They were looking at him, enthralled with the story.

He found himself smiling as he finished the chapter. Something about reading to them made him feel…really good.

XxXxXxXxX

Rapunzel watched Eugene read to the children, and she saw how their faces were happy and completely enraptured in the story. He actually looked like he was enjoying himself and she smiled. She knew he would. She studied him, and for a second she could imagine a much younger Eugene doing the same thing. Then her mind fast-forwarded to the future and she could see him telling tales to a little girl with chocolate brown hair and big green eyes….

She blinked. Now wasn't the time to think about that, she chided herself.

"He's very good at that, isn't he?" Mrs. Everhart said, suddenly appearing beside her.

"Yes," she answered. "He is. I knew he would be."

"Well, I think I can safely say that both of your visits will be the highlight of their week," Mrs. Everhart said. "They don't often get visitors like this…." Rapunzel watched as a sad look crossed her face. "Not many people care about orphans, you know."

Rapunzel nodded. She'd gathered that from Eugene's gloomy expression on the way here. "It's a pity," she said. "If I had more time, I'd love to spend afternoons here." She shrugged. "But being a princess is a lot of work…." She trailed off. Some of Lottie's teaching came to her mind and she knew she shouldn't say anything else. Talking about how difficult being a princess surely wasn't proper etiquette. She quickly changed the subject. "So, you need volunteers to play with the kids?"

"Oh, my yes!" she said. "We always do. Do you think your Eugene is still interested?"

She chuckled. She was the one who'd made that up. When she went to the orphanage a week or so ago, she'd told Mrs. Everhart that Eugene was an "alumni" of sorts, and he'd like to help out occasionally. It was no small lie, but she felt like it was true now. "I hope so. Why don't you ask him before we leave?"

"I will," she said. "But right now, I have to attend to some things. You don't mind, do you?"

_A princess is always gracious. _"Not at all," she assured Mrs. Everhart. "I'll be fine."

Her face relaxed. "Thank you, Princess."

She turned and left Rapunzel by herself, and she sighed a little. Since she figured they'd be here awhile, she pulled out her sketchbook and began to draw a picture.

A picture of Eugene reading to the children.

XxXxXxXx

After a few chapters, Mrs. Everhart came to Eugene and said that was enough for today. The children grumbled a little, but they eventually left. He watched them go, thinking that this really hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be, and when Mrs. Everhart asked him if he'd come back, he quickly said yes. He would be happy to. Then he and Rapunzel said goodbye and they started walking back to the palace. As they did, he thought about his afternoon. Surprisingly enough, he'd enjoyed himself. Rapunzel was right. Why was she always right about everything? He looked at Rapunzel out of the corner of his eye.

She noticed his gaze. "Did you have fun, Eugene?" she asked.

"Yes…," he admitted, preparing himself for the "I told you so" that would follow.

But she didn't say that. Actually, when he thought about it, saying that wasn't like her anyway. He was probably more the kind to gloat than she was. "I'm so glad," she said. "They seemed to all really like you."

"I…liked them," he said. "They loved the book."

She smiled. "Of course they did. You read it very well." She paused. "So you think you'll go back?"

He remembered the sad looks of the orphans, and how the story had made them smile. Besides, if anyone could relate to their circumstances, it was him. Maybe he could help them avoid his mistakes too. "….Yes…," he said slowly. "I will. I think…..they need me there."

"Yes," she said, her voice soft. "I'm sure they do."

He sighed, and he stopped walking to look at her. "Rapunzel," he said. "I know you won't say it, but you were right." Her face didn't change. "I think volunteering there will be a good thing for me. Maybe I won't be so bored…."

She smiled faintly at him. "I just want you to be happy, Eugene. Are you happy?"

"Yes," he answered. "Yes." And even as he said it, he knew it was true.

XxXxXxXx

At dinner that night, all Rapunzel and Eugene could talk about was the orphanage. It was interesting to Lottie, but after a while, she sort of wished they could talk about something else. They were so happy together today. Eugene looked at Rapunzel lovingly, and Rapunzel returned his gazes with a love of her own.

Whenever she watched them, something inside her would begin to hurt. Like now. Her chest ached and she felt ever so lonely. She chided herself. _Stop thinking of yourself! _ She tried to focus on dinner and she watched as Mama and Papa looked over a sketch that Rapunzel had done.

"It's wonderful, dear!" Mama said. "It looks just like Eugene too."

Eugene smiled at Rapunzel. "I think so. She even got my nose right."

Mama passed it on to Lottie. "Take a look, Lottie."

Lottie took it from Mama, and looked at it. Rapunzel had drawn Eugene surrounded by a group of orphans, reading a book. It was beautiful. Rapunzel was incredibly talented, and she should be very proud of herself. But a twinge of….something kept her from saying it.

"Don't you think it's wonderful, Lottie?" Mama asked.

She gave the drawing back to Rapunzel. She fiddled with her fork, her eyes on her plate. "Yes," she said faintly. "It is. Good job, Rapunzel." But deep inside, she felt deeply inferior. She'd never be able to draw like Rapunzel. She had no special talent besides being the most dependable princess.

And what kind of talent was that?

XxXxXxXxXx

Over the next few weeks, Lottie's feelings of annoyance continued to increase about both herself and her sister. She couldn't honestly say that they were totally aimed at Rapunzel, because she was as cute and charming as ever and most of the time her own feelings were not Rapunzel's fault. So she supposed they were more directed at her parents. They often let her sister get away with things that she knew she had been punished for when she was that age. Her rational side said it was because of her upbringing. It still aggravated her sometimes, but she couldn't say anything. Her parents most likely wouldn't understand her feelings, and Rapunzel? She couldn't aim her angry feelings at her. She was just….too sweet and caring. She was certain that she didn't do any of it on purpose and it probably had to do with her life in the tower. She missed Catherine as her maid too, and although her replacement, Susanna, was competent, it just wasn't the same.

Because she couldn't tell her parents or Rapunzel about her feelings, she felt completely stuck. And she found herself sneaking off more and more to see Tom. She didn't necessarily tell him everything, but just having someone outside of her family was more valuable than she thought she could express to anyone.

Besides, he made her feel good about herself. When she was with him, she felt special and interesting, not at all like the boring and dependable princess she was at the palace. And he was…._nice _to her. He listened to what she said, and always seemed to care.

There was something….rather wonderful about somebody listening to you, and caring about what you said and about how you felt.

The way Tom did.

So she kept sneaking off to see him.

It was one of the few things she did in her life that was actually fun. And in her life, she had to find those and savor them. Otherwise, she'd go completely mad.


	9. Hurt

**Chapter 8-Hurt**

After Eugene's first visit to the orphanage, he settled into a new routine. Instead of wandering around the castle every afternoon, searching for something to do, he usually went to the orphanage and read to the kids there for a few hours. And he _liked_ it. That fact never ceased to amaze him, but he liked being with the kids and doing something to bring some joy into their life. He loved seeing them smile. Sometimes he thought about reading to a little girl with a certain someone's green eyes and his brown hair too.

He did not mention this to Rapunzel.

But he told her everything else about his trips there, and she would always smile and tell him how glad she was that he had found something to do that he enjoyed. She seemed relieved that he wasn't bored anymore.

He wasn't. Actually, sometimes he thought that his life couldn't be better. He'd finally said Rapunzel's phrases enough that he was starting to believe them, and with his new work he felt like he was doing something important. He and Lottie were getting along better and better all the time.

Life was good. Shockingly good, and sometimes he had to pinch himself and remind himself that this really _was_ his life.

How had he gotten so lucky?

XxXxXxXx

Lottie thought often that she was stuck in a rut. The problem was she didn't know how to get out of it.

Maybe that wasn't entirely true. Tom would say that if she was honest about how she felt with her family that she might just find that things would improve. She wasn't sure about that. There was a reason that she told half-lies all the time. Wouldn't Mama be upset if she told her that she felt like she was invisible now that Rapunzel was here? Wouldn't Papa be upset on Mama's behalf and tell her that a princess never complained?

No, she decided. She couldn't do it.

So she remained in her rut. She continued to bury her feelings deep down inside her. Her birthday was coming up too, and she thought that maybe she'd feel better after that. After all, a birthday was a time when she felt that she could maybe do something that she'd like to do. She dropped hints to Mama about what she'd like, and Mama would only smile demurely and say something like she'd see what she could do.

One day, toward the end of the summer, Mama came to her and asked for her help in preparing a "We present Rapunzel as our princess" ball.

Lottie said yes, of course. It was what she did.

She didn't mind most of the work, but when Mama told her that all of her cousins were coming, she groaned a little. There were two girl cousins that could be incredibly annoying. Most of the time they only would talk about clothes and other shallow things like chasing boys or other twaddle like that.

"Are Selena and Simona coming?" She couldn't help but ask Mama.

Mama smiled demurely. "Of course they are, dear. And they'll be coming early to because your Aunt Elaine wanted to help me."

Naturally. Aunt Elaine was sweet and would want to help Mama. She loved seeing her Aunt Elaine. But honestly, she didn't know how somebody as kind as Aunt Elaine could produce such annoying daughters. "I see," she said. "And I guess….you'll want me to…entertain the girls?"

"That would be an enormous help, Lottie," said Mama. "Would you mind?"

Yes! Her mind screamed. "No," she said softly. "Of course not."

But once Mama left, Lottie groaned into her pillow. What awful thing would Mama think of for her to do next?

XxXxXxXx

That afternoon was one of her days that she saw Tom, and she couldn't help but vent to him about Selena and Simona. As usual, he listened to her go on and on about how irritating they were. She may or may not have used harsher adjectives than that. "I can't stand them, Tom," she finished with a huff.

He nodded. "I gathered that," he said. "But my question is are they silly, stupid, or silly _and _stupid?"

She considered it. "Silly _and _stupid," she said. "But they can be mean sometimes too. Like nothing is ever good enough for them, and so they'll make snide little remarks. But then they'll say something that proves there's nothing but air in their heads. And they sometimes fight all the time too." She grimaced just thinking about it. "Personally," she confided. "I call them the Stupid Sisters." He suddenly coughed uncontrollably. "Are you all right?" she asked.

He pounded his chest and coughed again. "Yes, quite. And what were their names again?"

"Selena and Simona."

He laughed. "So…stupid Selena and Simona?"

"Yes, exactly," she said, but she felt that wasn't maybe entirely fair. Simona could sometimes be smart. "But it's sort of interesting because I think Simona is actually fairly intelligent."

"But she just acts dumb?"

"Precisely."

"And Selena?"

She paused to think about it. "Well….I think she's just dumb," she said, then flushed. "Does it make me a horrible person to say that?" As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she knew what he was going to say. _Is it the truth? _That's what he _always _said when she said something honest and felt bad about it.

And he didn't let her down. "Is it the truth?" he asked her.

She bit her lip. "Umm….yes?"

"Well, as long as you haven't said that to their face, I think you're safe," he said. "Besides, don't you know by now that I'll never condemn you for telling me what you really feel?"

At his words, she felt tears pricking her eyes. No one had _ever_ said anything like that to her before, and she felt that as a princess there was nothing but condemnation from people sometimes. Over what she said, what she wore, what she did…..It never ended. "Well, you'd be the first. People seem to get their kicks out of picking on princesses."

He looked thoughtful. "Yes. They probably do. It's human nature to find the negative in anything and anybody." He looked thoughtfully at her. "But I know that must be hard on you."

Somehow hearing that from him made all the difference in the world to her. Somebody finally understood. "It is," she whispered.

"But my suggestion is to ignore their comments," he said. "Most of the time it's their problem anyway, not yours."

"I guess it is," she said slowly, thinking about what he said. "But I wish they didn't make it _my_ problem." It always seemed to her that their snarky comments were because of something she was or wasn't doing that she should. Sometimes it was hard to tune it out.

He laughed, and then smiled at her. "They only have as much power over you as you give them, Lottie."

She blinked. That was true, and she had been giving them power over her. Every time she let their little comments bug her, she'd been handing them power. "I guess I hadn't thought of it that way," she said. "So…just ignore them." It sounded so commonsensical when he said it, but she felt like it'd be much harder to put into practice.

He nodded. "Yeah."

After that, they talked about other things, like his book, but his words stayed with her long afterward. She determined to do her best to do as he said.

XxXxXxxX

But that resolution was surely challenged when, soon after Aunt Elaine and her cousins arrived, Mama came to her with a request.

"Can you look after the twins today?"

Lottie was relieved to find that she had an excuse. Today was the afternoon that she usually met Tom. "I'm afraid not, Mama. I'm meeting a friend."

Mama sighed deeply. "But can't you take them with you?" she asked. "I'm sure they'd love to meet one of your friends."

"But Mama…." She protested. She did _not _want the Stupid Sister to meet Tom. Somehow she knew they'd ruin her time with him. They always did. And if that wasn't bad enough, they could possibly start flirting with him. A surge of anger rose up in her at the very thought of it.

"Please, Lottie," Mama pleaded.

"Mama…I-…" The word no formed itself on her lips, and she wanted more than anything to say it. But she couldn't. She never said no. Besides, Mama was counting on her to help out. Couldn't she just put aside what she wanted for a little while? "All right," she said slowly. "I guess I could do that."

Mama looked relieved. Probably because she didn't have to deal with them now, so she handed them to Lottie. Typical. "Thank you, Lottie! You're wonderful to do this."

_Yes, I know. _"It's…no trouble at all," she said faintly.

Mama gave her a kiss, and another thank you before she left the room.

Afterward, Lottie fell onto her bed. How on earth was she going to do this?

She didn't know, but a few hours later she was meeting up with Selena and Simona and heading toward Tom's house. They peppered her with questions, like what was she like, did she like clothes, did Lottie think that she would be excited to meet them. Lottie patiently answered all the questions, but she knew that she had to tell them that her friend was male. She didn't particularly want to. Both of them were chronic flirts, and they'd be all over him in a minute, she was sure.

Yet she knew she had an obligation to mention the fact. "And it's not a she, just so you know," she finally said, as they drew close to his house. "It's a he."

Selena giggled and wrapped one of her blonde curls around her finger. "Is he handsome?"

She considered. She thought of his wavy brown hair, his brown and mischievous eyes, his straight nose and jaw….

Yes, he was handsome._ Very_ handsome. But she would never tell Selena that. "Why does that matter, Selena?" she said. "What counts is the inside."

"Oh, of course," said Selena.

Lottie thought that was the end of it, so she nodded and continued to walk. But she heard Selena and Simona talking behind her. "He's handsome, all right," Selena whispered.

"Totally," Simona whispered back. "Why else would she avoid the question?"

A pause. "A-void? What does a void have to do with anything?"

Lottie rolled her eyes and groaned quietly. Why did she have to be cursed with such stupidity? Honestly. She didn't even know how somebody as old as Selena could be such a bloody idiot.

Thankfully, Simona felt the same way. Her voice escalated. "Really, Selena, you are such an idiot sometimes. I meant, why didn't she answer the question?'

"Oh, right," Selena said. "And don't call me an idiot. It's rude."

"Then don't act like one," Simona retorted

Lottie rolled her eyes again, and tried her best to ignore them until they reached Tom's house. Soon they did, but not before Selena and Simona got into another mini-fight over stupidity. She felt like she'd love to kiss Tom's door. Finally, somebody sane. She knocked on the door. "Tom?"

She heard footsteps and he opened the door. She'd never been so glad to see him in her life. He smiled at her, and she thought about Selena's question. _Is he handsome? _ Yes, her heart said. He was. And for the first time, all she could think about was how good-looking he was. "Lottie, it's-…." He glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, I see you brought some friends."

Friends….ha. She forced herself to smile. "Yes. These are my cousins, Selena and Simona." She gestured to Tom. "This is my friend, Tom."

She watched as Selena touched his arm- actually touched his arm! Selena's forwardness shocked her, but maybe it shouldn't. Selena was always like this when it came to men. "Tom," she purred. "I'm _thrilled_ to meet you."

Simona put her hand on his other arm. "Me too!"

Tom blinked, and gently pulled his arms away like any gentlemen would. "Um….quite," he said politely. "Why don't you ladies come in?"

They did, and Lottie was about to follow them, but Tom caught her arm. He leaned in close to her, and Lottie's heart pounded more than it should. He whispered in her ear. "So. The Stupid Sisters, huh?"

She shook her head. "You have no idea."

He smiled and winked at her, sending her heart aflutter. He was so very handsome. Why hadn't she ever noticed before how his eyes seemed to twinkle like stars?

He walked away from her, and began to do host-like things like asking her cousins if they'd like to sit down and if they'd like something to drink. His ability to be kind to his unexpected guests endeared him even more to her. He was so nice….

"And how about you, Lottie?" he asked her.

She blinked. She lost herself in her thoughts, and now he was looking at her. "Um...tea, I guess."

He laughed. "Of course," he said, then grinned at the girls. "Lottie can't stand coffee. What would you ladies like?"

She watched as Selena actually fluttered her eyelashes at him. She looked like she'd gotten a speck of dirt in her eye. "Oh, I'd love some coffee."

"Me too!" Simona echoed. "We love coffee."

Lottie had a sudden urge to smack them. It was obvious that they were trying to make her look bad because she didn't like coffee like they did- like Tom would be more inclined to like them if they were just like him.

But all Tom did was continue to smile and prepared three cups of coffee and one cup of tea for her. He set them on the table, and joined them. "So, where are you ladies from?"

"Oh, we live not too far from here," Simona said. "Just over the border in Screlandria."

"And we're here from Rapunzel's ball," Selena told him. She laughed girlishly. "Don't you just love balls, Tom?"

He looked bemused. "I really couldn't say."

"Haven't you ever been to one?" Selena asked. "I don't see how you couldn't like balls!"

Lottie could. She couldn't think of one ball that she'd actually enjoyed. Most of her experience with balls consisted of thinking of chit-chat and trying not to mind when somebody stepped on her toes. The dressing up part could be fun, but the shoes often pinched, and the dresses laced up so tight that she couldn't breathe. Ugh. Now she was reminded of how much she did hate balls. She loved Rapunzel dearly, but she would be fine celebrating her in a different way. For instance, taking a picnic lunch by the lake. That would be fun.

"Well, I personally love balls, " she heard Selena say. "All the dressing up." She smiled flirtatiously at Tom. "The handsome men."

Oh good Lord. Selena couldn't be more obvious if she tried. She hoped that Tom would see through her nonsense.

"I agree," said Simona.

Lottie finally found her voice. "You know," she said. "I think it's time to discuss something else now, like maybe the weather. Or something."

Both of the twins looked incredulously at her. "What's so interesting about the weather?" said Selena. "It's hot, just like it is every summer. I'd much rather talk about dresses. Those at least change each year."

Tom laughed heartily. "That may be true, but that's not particularly interesting to me."

"I have an idea, Tom," Lottie said as an idea came to her. "How about your game?"

He looked over at her. "Speak?"

"Yes."

He winked at her, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Why was it that his winks and smiles made her so excited all of a sudden? "I'm not sure Selena or Simona would enjoy it…." He said.

On second thought, they probably wouldn't. Telling the truth wasn't something they'd want to do.

But they surprised her. "I'd like to play," said Selena. "I mean, if Tom made it up, I'm sure it will be good."

"Actually," Tom said. "I have a better idea. How about I tell you the story of how Lottie and I met?"

Lottie felt a laugh bubble up in her when she remembered how Tom had rescued her from the ruffians. "That's quite a story, Tom. But I'm not sure they'd want to hear that."

"Yes," Selena said. "I'd much rather-…."

Tom cut her off. "Nonsense. You all would love it." He preceded to them all the embarrassing details of how he'd rescued her from the boys, and how their friendship had progressed from there. She liked hearing it from his mouth, and she thought he said it all with a hint of fondness for her. But she noticed how bored both Selena and Serena looked. After he finished, she smiled at him. "It sounds so much exciting when you tell it, Tom. But how about we talk about maybe…the ball now?" She didn't want to, but she did want her cousins to enjoy themselves. Sort of.

Selena immediately brightened up. "Oh yes! I'm so excited about it. I have the most beautiful dress, Tom."

His eyes flicked over to Lottie. "I'm sure it is."

Now Lottie felt rather awkward and she wished she hadn't brought it up again. She didn't even know if Tom was going to the ball. How would she feel if they kept talking about a party that she couldn't go to? "You know," she said hastily. "I think we'd better be going. Mama will be expecting us for dinner soon."

She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in Tom's eyes, but it quickly vanished. "Oh, all right," he said. "It was nice to meet you, Selena, Simona."

Selena giggled again. "Definitely!"

Simona agreed, and Lottie believed they might even have started to fawn over him again if she hadn't herded them outside.

Honestly. Being a princess was certainly not for the faint of heart.

XxXxXxXx

The next morning, Lottie woke up early. She usually did, but today she pulled her pillow over her head and groaned. Just another day of her two annoying cousins awaited her, and boring ball details on top of that.

But then a thought entered her mind and she bolted out of bed. Today was her birthday! Surely not even Selena and Simona could ruin that for her. She hummed cheerfully as she dressed and prepared for the day. Her happy mood even continued when she went down to breakfast and saw Selena and Simona sitting across from her. Luckily, both Eugene and Rapunzel were there too, and they were smiling at her.

Mama and Papa were present along with Aunt Elaine too, and they soon began to eat. Yet as the meal went on, no one mentioned her birthday at all. Her heart grew heavy, and she couldn't help but wonder what happened.

XxXxXxX

Lottie's day did not improve from there. After they finished eating, Mama asked her to help with Selena and Simona again and so she was subjected again to their nonsense. The afternoon wore on, and she still hadn't hear a happy birthday the entire day.

When it was close to dinnertime, she had to talk to Mama about it. Perhaps they were planning a surprise dinner for her? She didn't know, but she couldn't help but wonder that maybe they'd forgotten. In the midst of all the preparations for Rapunzel's ball, it had completely slipped their minds.

That was not a happy thought. She knocked on Mama's door, and let herself in. Mama was busy scribbling notes, and fiddling with RSVPS.

"Mama," she said. "I know you're busy with something, but I really need to talk to you…."

Mama sighed and rubbed her temple. "Lottie, can't it wait until tomorrow? I'm busy with details for the ball and-…"

She stared at Mama in disbelief. She was brushing her off? Unbelievable! Didn't she remember that it was her birthday? She knew what she should do now, which was say, yes of course, I'll ask again tomorrow. But she couldn't do it. This was her birthday! Her face flushed hot, and she let out the frustration that had building for weeks. "No, don't worry about it, Mama. I'm sure that Rapunzel's ball is so much more important than _my birthday!"_

Mama just stared at her, and Lottie instantly became aware of how rude she'd been. "I'm sorry, Mama," she said. "I just…." Her feet itched, and what she needed more than anything was to get out of there. "Excuse me."

She didn't even wait for Mama to respond; she rushed out of the room and out of palace, tears falling down her cheeks. There was only one person she wanted to see right now, and he did not live in the castle. She almost ran to Tom's house, and she knocked on the door. _Come on, Tom, _she thought. _Please be home._

After the second knock, Tom opened the door. "Lottie! What-…." He noticed her tear-stained face, and his face grew concerned. "Are you okay?"

She choked back a sob. "No…." He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her head in his chest and cried. But once her tears dried up, she became intensely aware of how close they were. His arms were around her waist, and one hand stroked her hair. It all felt….very intimate somehow, as if they were more than friends. Maybe they were. Surely she wouldn't get that warm feeling in her stomach if they were. She probably wouldn't enjoy his arms around her as much as she did either. But she still pulled away, cheeks hot.

Tom didn't look embarrassed at all though. He even reached a hand out to her, but it fell limply to his side. "What happened, Lottie?" he asked.

"My parents….my parents were too busy with my little sister to remember my birthday," she blubbered.

"That's awful, Lottie. I'm so sorry," he said kindly. "But if it makes you feel better, I understand what that's like."

She looked at him tearfully. See, she thought. That's why she knew she needed to see him. It seemed like no matter what happened, he always knew what to say. "You do?"

"Yes, I do," he said. "My parents have always favored my younger brother over me because…." He hesitated. "Well, just because." He abruptly cleared his throat and smiled. "Anyway. Happy birthday! So, would you like anything to drink? I could make cocoa instead of coffee to cheer you up. And I actually have a piece of pie if you'd like it."

She smiled in spite of herself. His offer was very nice. "That would be wonderful."

He smiled back at her and quickly made a cup for her and himself. He also put a piece of pie on a plate in front of her. Apple. Her favorite. Tears pricked her eyes at his kind gesture, and she started to eat it. Delicious. "You like it?" He asked her with a grin.

"I love it," she said. "Thank you."

After she finished the pie, Tom sat across from her, his gaze level. "Lottie," he said seriously. "I can't help but think that there is something else bothering you besides just your birthday."

"You're very perceptive, Tom," she said.

"Thank you," he said. Then he grinned at her. "But don't think you can avoid my question that easily."

"No," she said slowly. "I wasn't trying to avoid it…" She stopped and she decided to tell him everything. She'd told him snippets here and there, but she found herself telling all the feelings she'd had over the past few months. She told him that she loved her sister being home, but she felt like she'd been invisible to her parents since Rapunzel had returned. Rapunzel also seemed good at everything, and she couldn't help but think she wasn't really good at anything. She felt like the boring older sister that everybody depended on, while Rapunzel was the happy and light one that everyone liked more. He listened patiently. "So…" she said hesitantly when she'd finally finished. "What do you think?

"It's fairly simple, really." He leaned back in his chair and looked at her levelly. "You're jealous."

Her? Jealous? She denied it. She might feel overshadowed by her sister, but she wasn't jealous. Where was Tom getting that? "I am not."

"You are."

"No, I'm not!" she protested.

He sighed heavily and looked straight into her eyes. "Yes, Lottie, you are," he said emphatically. "But it's okay. It happens to everyone sometime or another. Sibling rivalry is as old as…." He waved his hands around. "I don't know…siblings themselves!"

"I'm not jealous," she repeated again. "I'm not! And I'm not in rivalry with her!"

"Lottie," he said. "Come on, be reasonable. Everything you told me is-…."

Suddenly, something in her snapped. She'd poured out her heart to him, and now he was telling her she was the one who was wrong? "I _am _being reasonable!" she argued hotly. "You're the one who isn't."

Previously he had looked at her with compassion, but now his eyes expressed annoyance. "_I'm _the one who's unreasonable? I'm not the one who's practically yelling."

"I am _not _yelling!" Okay. That had come out very loud. Maybe she was.

"Lottie! Can you hear yourself? You can deny it as much as you want, but you are. And I think that-…."

She couldn't have this conversation right now. "And I think…," she snapped. "That I don't _care _what you think!" She raced over to the door and pulled it open.

He followed her and took her hand. "Come on, Lottie, please. Let's-…"

She pulled her hand out of his. "Go away," she said. "I don't want to talk to you."

And then she ran back to the castle, tears streaming down her face.


	10. Reconciliation

**Chapter 9-Reconciliation**

It didn't take Lottie long to decide that she couldn't go back to the palace. She'd quarreled with Mama, and though she'd apologized, she still didn't feel ready to return. So, she went to the stable instead, and saddled up her horse, Jules. They walked together through the town but once they reached the bridge, Lottie gave Jules her head, and she immediately went flying through the woods. Lottie clung to Jules' rains, attempting to fight back her tears. She couldn't do it. She felt so horrible about what she'd done to both Tom and her family that she buried her face in Jules' mane and sobbed.

Jules' continued to run through obediently, but Lottie was too blinded by her tears to notice where they were going. _What have I done?_ she thought. _What have I done?_

Just ruined her own life, that was all. She'd moaned about how annoying her life could be, but it truly was in the mire now. She'd yelled at her sweet mother, yelled at her friend….She was a terrible person. She berated herself over and over for her mistake, and she wished she could just rewind the entire day and do it over.

Eventually, Jules stopped, exhausted, and Lottie slid off her back. She curled up on the ground and continued to cry, not even bothering to tie up Jules. She knew she wouldn't run away. Her Jules was as loyal as horses came. Sure enough, Jules came over and started nuzzling her hair.

At least there was someone in the world who didn't hate her. Surely Mama did and now Tom too. Tears trickled down her cheeks when she thought about how she'd yelled at him. How could she have done that? He was only trying to help her, and she'd practically attacked him. She could admit now that he was even probably right about her jealously. She already felt so sorry about their fight, but she didn't know what to do. Tom was the only friend she'd ever had and she'd completely alienated him. How could he ever forgive her?

Maybe she could tell him how right he was, about everything, about her, about her family, about life. One sentence he'd said back when they first met repeated itself over and over again:

_Well, don't be surprised if one day it all comes out sideways and backfires on you….._

He was right. Why was he _always_ right? She'd shoved everything down under a placid exterior, and now…now with one stupid move all that she'd tried to hide had exploded on her, and her whole family. Why hadn't she listened to him?

Because she was angry. Because she thought her way was better. Because she didn't want to admit that she was jealous. Because she was stupid. Oh, why couldn't she have kept her mouth shut?

The one time she'd finally told the truth, it'd had blown up on her. See, she thought sourly. That was precisely why she always told lies. A small prickling told her that it wasn't that she told the truth, but rather the way she'd said it. She'd been rude. In her anger, she'd said hurtful words that she'd do anything to take back. She rolled over on her stomach and sobbed into the grass.

She didn't know how long she'd cried, but eventually she felt raindrops falling on her head and the sky was dark. She looked up, and Jules neighed softly. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yes, Jules, we can go home."

She didn't want to, but anything was better than staying out in the rain.

XxXxXxX

The castle was quiet when she returned, and she figured everyone was in bed. She checked her clock and shook her head. No small wonder that, it was about midnight. Lottie changed out of her wet clothes and put on dry ones, and climbed into her bed. But she couldn't sleep, and so she just lay on her bed for hours. She was just too worked up, and she replayed over and over the horrible scenes with both Tom and Mama.

What was she going to do now?

She shut her eyes. Maybe if she did, she'd think of something to do.

Hours later, she had finally thought of something and her eyes popped open. Rapunzel. Surely she must have fought with Eugene at least once. Maybe she'd know what to do. She quickly jumped off her bed, and headed for Rapunzel's room. She knew it was early, but hopefully her sister would see her.

She did, though she noticed that Rapunzel kept rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Lottie," she said in surprise. "What-…." She noticed her stricken face. "Is everything all right?"

She sniffled at her sister's kindness. "Can I talk to you?"

She opened the door wider. "Of course. Come in." Rapunzel let her in and they both settled down on her bed. "So what's on your mind, Lottie?"

With that opening, Lottie poured out the whole story. Of course, she didn't tell Rapunzel everything, such as the fact that she was jealous of her. But she said that she had quarreled with her friend, Tom, and she didn't know what to do. Rapunzel listened to her intently, saying nothing until she finished. "I think we need to go straight to the source," she said seriously.

"The source?" she repeated in confusion.

"Yes, come on," Rapunzel said. "Follow me."

Lottie followed her sister to another door and she knocked on the door. "Eugene?" she called softly. "Eugene!" Lottie frowned in confusion. They were seeing Eugene? That didn't make sense to her at all.

No sounds came from behind the door. Finally she heard footsteps, and the unbolting of the lock. A tired looking Eugene opened the door, with slightly mused up hair. "What is it, Rapunzel?" he asked wearily. "Don't you know it's only…6:30 in the morning?"

"I know, Eugene," Rapuzel said kindly. "But Lottie here has a problem."

His eyes settled on her, and she flushed. "And I can help her?" He didn't sound annoyed, but rather confused. She felt confused herself. How could he help?

"Yes!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "Tell him, Lottie."

At Rapunzel's prompting, Lottie told him the same thing that she had told Rapunzel. He listened patiently just like Rapunzel had.

"I think she should do what _we _do when we fight, Eugene," said Rapunzel once she had finished.

The tops of Eugene's ears turned red. "I don't think that would quite work, Blondie," he said quietly.

"Why not?" Rapunzel asked. "I love it when we kiss after a fight."

Now his cheeks were red. It was pretty amusing, but she decided to step in and help Eugene out. "I can't go up to Tom and kiss him, Rapunzel."

"Why not?"

"Because we're not in a romantic relationship," she explained. "We're just friends."

Rapunzel looked at her levelly. "Are you?"

Lottie felt off guard by her sister's question. The way she asked it made her feel like there was something so obvious about the two of them that she was a fool not to notice. Well, sh_e would _have been stupid to not notice the spark between them, but that didn't mean that they should pursue some romance. Right? She made herself answer Rapunzel. "Yes," she stammered.

"Well, I think you're being silly," she declared. "Tom sounds wonderful. You would be-…"

"Rapunzel," warned Eugene. In that moment, Lottie had never been so grateful for Eugene's presence. She felt as she were in a corral being cornered by a raging bull. She was glad he was there to ward her off.

But Rapunzel either didn't notice the warning or decided not to heed it. "You'll make a big mistake if you don't at least think about it, and-…"

Eugene's voice escalated. "Rapunzel!"

"No, it's okay," Lottie said slowly. She didn't to be the cause of tension between the two of them. "You've both given me some things to think about."

"Good," Eugene said. "And you know there's always the sure 'I'm sorry', Lottie."

_I'm sorry….._Two simple words, yet so hard to say. That is, most of the time. But right now Lottie did feel so sorry that she might be able to do it. She had been wrong. "Of course. Thank you both," she said.

Rapunzel smiled. "Any time! I like helping people, don't you, Eugene?"

Eugene was in the middle of a yawn that he wasn't quite able to hide behind his hand. "Yes, of course. When it's at a decent hour, that is."

Rapunzel let out a little giggle. "Okay, Eugene, I get it. Lottie and I will go now so you can get more sleep."

Eugene muttered something that Lottie couldn't quite distinguish, and shut the door, leaving her with Rapunzel.

Her sister turned to her. "I still think Tom would be a good beau for you."

Lottie didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing. Instead, she told her that she'd see her later at breakfast, and then set out for Tom's house. While she walked, she tried to think of what to say and she came up with an entire speech that even her tutors would have been impressed with.

Soon she reached his house and she made herself knock. Maybe it was too early, she thought. Maybe she should come back later….

Just then Tom opened the door, and her heart pounded. "Lottie." His face was unreadable, but he wasn't slamming the door in her face. That was a good sign….right?

Her speech had been perfect. Too bad she couldn't remember any of it now that she was face to face with him. "Tom," she said hesitantly. "I just…..I just…." She swallowed hard. "I just….."

His expression didn't change. "Yes?"

Her mind frantically searched for something to say. "I'm sorry," she said simply. "I'm so sorry, Tom." She desperately hoped that Eugene was right, that an 'I'm sorry' would work and he wouldn't be angry with her anymore. Besides, everything in her brilliant speech came down to those two words anyway. _I'm sorry…._

His expression softened and he held out his arms. She rushed into them. How did he know that a hug was exactly what she needed right now? She buried her faced in his shoulder, fighting back tears. His arms went around her, and she relished it. His hug was as comforting to her as a warm blanket in the winter and she felt rather sorry when he let go of her.

"Would you like to come in?" he asked.

"Yes please," she said softly.

He started making a pot of something, and she could only hope it was tea. She wasn't particularly fond of coffee, but she knew he was. It was one of the first things he'd told her in their "Speak" game. He turned around to look at her with a smile. "Tea okay?"

"Perfect."

He handed her cup of tea, and sat down across from her. He just looked at her and she knew that was her cue to start talking. "You were right," she admitted. "I am jealous." She prepared herself mentally for the "I told you so" that would follow.

But he didn't say that. Instead he looked at her with kindness. "Why?"

"It's just….," she said, searching for the words. "Everyone likes her. Everyone. She's bouncy, and cute, and perky..." _And never depressed or grumpy like me, _she thought. No wonder everyone would rather be around Rapunzel than her. She was probably as fun as the plague.

"And?" he prompted gently.

"And I just feel like everyone will always like her better than me," she confessed. "She's most likely prettier too." With her cute brown hair and huge green eyes, Rapunzel was almost the mirror image of their beautiful mother.

"I see." He was silent for a minute, and she wondered what he thinking. She was surprised at much she wanted to know, but his opinion had truly begun to matter to her. "Well," he said finally. "I don't know her personally, so I can't comment on her cuteness, perkiness, or bounciness. But there's one thing I know for sure."

"Yes?" she whispered.

He smiled. "She can't be prettier than you."

Her cheeks went hot at the compliment, yet she was undeniably pleased. He thought she was pretty! "Um, thank you."

"Sure.' He looked at her thoughtfully. "Can I be honest with you?"

Somehow she knew that he'd give her another lecture, and she prepared herself for it. But she wouldn't get upset and run away this time. She realized he was just trying to help. "Please do."

"You've _got_ to stop comparing yourself with your sister, Lottie," he said firmly. "If you compare her great qualities with ones you don't like about yourself, you're always going to come up short. You'll always be in the shadow of her, whether you truly are or not."

He was right about that, of course. Why was he _always_ right? "It's so hard to stop comparing," she said finally. "Especially when my sister is Rapunzel. "

"Yes?"

"And I just feel like I'm boring compared with her," she said. "I'm responsible, dependable…you can count on me."

"And that's bad?"

"No, I guess not," she admitted. Dependability really wasn't a bad thing. "But I just feel like I'm kind of…I don't know. Boring. Passive." He started laughing and she frowned. Here she was, pouring out her heart to him, and all he could do was laugh? "I'm glad I'm amusing you."

"I'm sorry-…" he said, even though he didn't sound too sorry to her. "It's just…you sure weren't boring when you yelled at me the other day. And passive you are not."

"But I usually do what people want me to do!' she protested.

"That doesn't mean you're passive," he said. "I think you need to just find your voice." He took of a sip of his coffee. "And speaking of which, I have something that I think you should do, but I don't think you're going to like it."

She probably wouldn't. "What is it?"

"You need to tell your parents how you feel," he said. "And I'd talk to your sister too."

She gaped at him, her eyes wide. "And say _what exactly?" Had he lost his mind? _

"Tell them that since your sister came back that you feel like they've ignored you except when they ask you to do something and that the lack of celebration on your birthday deeply hurt you."

"And my sister?"

"Tell her the truth."

XxXxXxXx

Tom's words to her echoed in Lottie's head long after he'd said them. _Talk to your parents….tell the truth. _She shook her head. He made it sound so easy. Yet it was very hard to do. How could she tell her parents that she was upset about all the attention that they paid to Rapunzel? Tom was crazy, that's all there was too it. But, she reminded herself, she hadn't told him that she'd been gone for eighteen years. Surely he'd understand if she didn't tell them….

On second thought, he probably would still tell to talk to them. It was the way he was. He always challenged her to do the impossible. Maybe she should. What was the worst thing could happen?

Plenty,she told herself. Plenty! Papa could grow quiet, and say that he was very disappointed in her. She cringed. That would be even worse than him yelling at her! And Mama…Mama could cry and say the same. She hated making Mama cry just as much as she hated disappointing her Papa. What could she do?

Yet she realized that she did not want to disappoint Tom either. He meant so much to her, and she knew he only had her best interests in mind. So with great trepidation, she walked to her parents' room and knocked on the door.

Papa answered, and she could see Mama stitching something in the background. "Lottie," Papa said.

"Can I come in?" she asked hesitantly. "I have something I need to tell you."

XxXxXxXx

Lottie thought later that her talk with her parents went even better than she could have hoped. They both had listened quietly, and when she'd finished both of them embraced her.

"I'm so sorry, dear," Mama had said. "I didn't know you were feeling so….underappreciated. But I hope you know how much we both love you."

Papa had agreed. "You're so dependable, Lottie, that sometimes we forget that you need us just as much as Rapunzel does."

She cried then, and they both hugged her closer telling her how much they had appreciated all she'd done in the past few months, and they hoped that she would be more honest in the future. She promised she would.

Tom had been right to tell her to do this. She already felt much better now that she'd cleared the air with her parents. Now it was time for her to talk to Rapunzel. She looked for her and found Rapunzel and Eugene sitting close together in the garden, their hands entwined. They didn't appear to be talking, but just enjoying each other's company. Clearly they were having their own private moment, and she started to walk away. She didn't want to interrupt.

But she heard Rapunzel call her. "Lottie?"

She turned to face them. Rapunzel didn't look too upset at the disturbance because she was smiling. Of course it seemed like she was always smiling, but Eugene didn't look too mad either. He gave her a small grin. "Yes," she said. "I'm sorry to bother you. I just had-…"

"You're no bother at all," said Rapunzel. "Right, Eugene?" She nudged him with her elbow when he didn't respond right away.

"Right," he said, though he sounded a little less convinced than Rapunzel did.

Rapunzel gestured to the spot next to her. "Come, sit."

Gingerly, she sat next to her sister, though she didn't miss that Eugene had let go of her hand. She wished she could tell them that it didn't bother her, but she was quiet.

"What did you want to talk about?" asked Rapunzel.

She wasn't sure how to start. _Start at the beginning, _she could hear Tom say in her head. "Well," she said slowly. "I have to admit something to you." Her cheeks felt hot. "It's kind of embarrassing."

"I'm listening."

"Rapunzel," she said. "I love that you're home, and I'm so glad you're my sister, but…." A huge lump settled in her throat and she looked away. "But I have to admit that I've been jealous of you and all the attention you get. I feel left out and unimportant." Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she forced herself to continue. "And I feel so horrible for feeling this way, because you don't deserve it." Finally she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She put her face in her hands and cried.

Soon Rapunzel's arms were around her. "Shhhh…."

"I'm…I'm sorry for being such a terrible sister," she sobbed. She felt another hand on her back, and she could only guess it was Eugene's. His kindness made her cry even harder. She'd been horrid to him too! She kept crying and crying, crying for how guilty she felt. Crying for all the times she'd been mean in the past months.

After some time, she stopped and she glanced up both of them. They each wore a concerned look on their faces. She wiped her eyes. "Thank you," she said shakily.

"Of course," said Rapunzel gently.

"It's understandable to be upset," Eugene offered. "I'm sure it's hard being an only child your whole life and then bam! You're not."

"It is…." she said, finally gaining control on her emotions again. "But I've still been beastly." Her eyes fixed on Eugene's. "Especially to you, Eugene. I'm so sorry."

He shifted in his seat. "It's okay," he said awkwardly. "I understand." Then he glanced up at Rapunzel and he grinned. "I knew I'd win you over eventually. Just like your sister."

She watched in amusement as Rapunzel playfully smacked him. "Well, _you _couldn't resist me either!"

He smiled good-naturedly and held out his hands. "It's true," he admitted. "You're irresistible, Blondie. "

A cute smirk made its way to her face. "It was the glowing hair in the cave, wasn't it?"

"No," he said. "I think it was the frying pan."

They looked at each other and burst out laughing at some private joke that Lottie wanted to know too.

"Okay, okay," she said. "Lottie's feeling a little left out here. Do you want to let me in on the story?"

They turned to her and smiled. "Sure!" Rapunzel said.

"But I get to tell it," he said. "I tell stories the best!"

"Fine," Rapunzel agreed.

"Well, Lottie," Eugene began dramatically. "This is the story of how I died….."

XxXxXxXx

When Lottie returned to her room later that night, she couldn't help but think about Tom. Sometimes, like right now, she was starting to believe that Rapunzel might be on to something- that maybe she did feel something for Tom that wasn't just platonic friendship. When she thought yesterday that he might hate her forever because of their fight, she wanted to curl up and die somewhere. She didn't think she could do without his friendship in her life. She needed him-needed his support and advice. He was handsome, smart, funny…wonderful. Her heart pounded whenever he touched her.

So was she in love with him?

She needed to find the answer to that question.

Before she went to sleep that night, she scribbled a note to him, thanking him for everything he did.

XxXxXxXx

That same night, Tom was thinking about Lottie too. He thought about how much he loved her-because he knew that he did. He knew that like he knew the sun would rise every morning. Sometime in between their long chats and walks, he'd fallen in love with her.

He wasn't surprised. When she'd ran into him that day a few months ago, he'd known that she was something special, and his feeling had solidified the more he got to know her. The funny thing, he thought, was that she didn't seem to be aware of it herself. She seemed only conscious of her shortcomings, never seeing her strengths as a daughter, sister, and friend. She thought her dependability made her boring, and he couldn't disagree more. Being dependable meant that you could trust that person- that they would do what was right, despite their personal feelings.

Like Lottie did.

Besides that, she always supported his writing. His family never did. They wanted him to go into the family business, and he'd have nothing of it. Being a…councilor like his father had never appealed to him, and neither did being a lord. It did to his younger brother though, and he'd quickly become the favored one. Tom didn't mind a bit. He could have all of those trappings, and so he'd left and moved here. The only thing he missed was his family's support for him.

But Lottie supported him. She thought that being a writer was amazing, and she encouraged him to write a book. He_ was _writing one, but he wasn't sure she knew it was about her.

For the next hour or so, he wrote, lost in the world of his story. But he grew tired and after finishing a chapter, he decided to call a night. Just before Tom went to bed though, he received a note from the palace messenger. He quickly read it. It was only a few words, after all.

_Dear Tom,_

_I did it. Thank you for everything._

_-Lottie_

He smiled. He was proud of her. He knew that it couldn't have been easy for her but she had done it anyway.

Just like he knew she would.


	11. Dance

**Chapter 10-Dance**

The next morning, Lottie woke up feeling more refreshed than she had in weeks and she knew it was because she'd made peace with everyone in her family. Finally, she'd been honest with Mama, Papa, and Rapunzel, and they still loved her. As she dressed, she hummed happily. When she finally was ready and opened the door, she found a small bouquet of daisies there with a note. She opened it up and read it.

_Dear Lottie,_

_I'm proud of you. I knew you could do it._

_-Tom_

She smiled. He was proud of her!

XxXxXxX

After that day when she lost it, the week before the ball passed quickly for Lottie. It was almost a blur of final preparations, crammed in lessons with Rapunzel, and dress fittings with their seamstress. Because of all the busyness, she barely saw Selena and Simona at all. Not a bad loss, she had to say. But she had to cancel some of her meetings with Tom. She did feel…rather sorry about that because she missed seeing him. Yet she was still not sure whether she was in love with him or not and part of her wanted to know before she did talk to him. She just didn't how how she could know, though. She was completely bewildered about it. So when she was at a final dress fitting the day before the ball with Rapunzel, she decided to talk to her about it. Rapunzel was obviously in love with Eugene, and surely there most have been a time when she'd known.

"Rapunzel," she said. "Can I ask you something?"

Rapunzel smiled. "Of course, Lottie."

Now that she had permission she wasn't sure exactly how to phrase it. She decided the direct approach would be the best. "How did you know you loved Eugene?"

A thoughtful expression crossed her face, and she was quiet for a minute. "I knew that I loved him because I couldn't imagine life without him. And what I wanted- what I dreamed of- was being with him forever." She smiled a little, as if remembering something really special. Then she looked at Lottie. "But I'm sure it's different for each person, Lottie," she added. "The way I knew might be different than you."

"Hmm…" Lottie said. She couldn't imagine her life without Tom, but she wasn't certain about the rest of it.

"Why do you ask?" Rapunzel said.

"Um…" What to say? Tom would encourage her to tell the truth. He always did. "Sometimes…I wonder if I love Tom." She bit her lip. "I mean, I know that I love him as a friend, but then my heart always beats faster when he hugs me. And it wouldn't do that if I thought of him as just a friend right? So sometimes I think I-…." She stopped. She realized she was babbling on like a simpleton.

Yet Rapunzel had listened to her patiently. "Do you want my opinion?"

Why not? "Sure…"

She started to smile, one that went all the way to her eyes. "You do," she said. "I don't think you're fully conscious of that yet. I'm sure you will be one of these days though. But trust me .When you know….you'll know."

Lottie wasn't entirely sure that helped her any, but Rapunzel did probably know more about it than she did. "Okay."

After that, she changed the subject to the ball. That was enough ball talk for one day.

XxXxXxXx

The day after that _was _the ball, so Lottie and Rapunzel spent most of the day preparing for it together. They talked and laughed, and Lottie thought that she was so glad to have more time to spend with her sister. Rapunzel seemed happy to be with her too, and they chatted about anything and everything. She did see Rapunzel seem unhappy once though,when her hairdresser, Lucinda, muttered something about the shortness of her hair. Rapunzel's face looked like she could cry. Lottie remembered that Eugene had cut it when he was dying, and she completely understood her sad expression. "You know, I like it," she said loyally. "It's different than everyone else and makes her look special."

Rapunzel smiled at her gratefully, and that was the end of it. Soon after that, they changed into their gowns- Rapunzel's a beautiful emerald that matched her eyes, and Lottie's a pretty blue. They sat for a while silently, and Lottie was thinking about how much she wished Tom could be there tonight. How fun would it be to dance with him? Suddenly she heard Rapunzel speak.

"I'm nervous, Lottie," she said softly.

Lottie reached over and patted her shoulder. "It's completely normal to feel that way, Rapunzel," she said reassuringly. "But you've got _nothing _to worry about. Just be your normal self, and everyone will love you. And don't forget that Eugene will be there every step of the way."

Rapunzel's smile came back after that, and Lottie shared some of her funnier ball stories to keep her laughing. But eventually they heard a knock on the door, and Lottie got up to answer it.

It was Eugene, looking very handsome. "Hi Lottie," he said. "Your mother told me to tell you two girls that it's time."

"Thanks, Eugene," she said. She turned to tell Rapunzel, but she had already come up to the door. Lottie didn't miss how Eugene's eyes had lit up at the sight of her. Of course, she did look beautiful, and she decided to leave them alone. "I'll see you in there, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel nodded, but she looked slightly distracted. They both did. So Lottie left them in peace, wishing that she could enter the ballroom with someone by her side like Rapunzel. Yet she still managed to walk there on her own. As soon as she did, she was immediately asked to greet everyone.

She did obediently, and she even danced with young men that she disliked.

All the while, she wished that a certain someone was there to dance with her too. As she waltzed with the tenth annoying lord, she decided that she was not a big fan of balls-not when all the wrong people were there.

And the right one was not.

XxXxXxXx

Eugene wasn't a big fan of balls either. Oh, he liked dancing with Rapunzel and everything, but that was about it. The rest of it was a big snore, because all the nobles were snobby and talked about tedious things like the weather and pedigrees.

Dull. And Rapunzel usually had to talk with them at least part of the time, so he hung around the punch table, waiting for her to be finished. He looked over only to see a bored looking young man to his left with brown hair and kind eyes. Well, he might as well say hello. After all, it wasn't often that he saw somebody who appeared to dislike these events as much as he did. Besides, he looked almost nice, which was rare. "Well, hello there," he said.

The young man smiled. "Hello. Nice party, isn't it?"

He decided to be honest. "Actually," he said in a low voice. "It's a little dull. Too many stuffy nobles."

He stared at Eugene for a minute, and he was almost afraid he'd misjudged him and he _was _one of those aforementioned bores. But then he laughed. "I have to agree with you," he said. "Though I'd hope I'm not one of the stuffy nobles. I'm Tom, by the way."

"Eugene."

Tom looked closely at him, almost as if he was trying to place him. "Eugene…as in Eugene Fitzherbert? Aka Flynn Rider?"

He laughed. "I see that my reputation has preceded me."

"Quite," Tom said. "I recognized you from your wanted poster. Though they didn't capture your nose right."

He shrugged. "Who could capture such perfection?"

"Exactly," Tom said with another laugh. "So, you're here with the princess?"

"I am indeed," Eugene said. "And you?"

Tom's eyes briefly flicked over to Lottie. "I'm not…I'm not here with any one particular."

Right. No one particular, his foot. Clearly, he had a torch for Lottie. "So, I've got a question for you."

"Yes?"

"Well, I've been hearing a lot about a Tom from Princess Lottie," he said, and he noticed how Tom's expression changed to a knowing one. "That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"

Tom smiled. "Guilty."

"If you don't mind me asking," he said. "How do you feel about Lottie? I mean, obviously you're friends…."

His eyes grew soft. "I….I love her," Tom admitted.

Eugene wasn't surprised to hear it. He already knew that from the way he'd briefly looked at her. It was the same way he probably looked at Rapunzel. "Yeah…I figured," he said. "Mind if I give you a piece of advice?"

"Go ahead."

"Don't wait too long to tell her. You never know what might happen."

Tom nodded slowly. "Yes….." He grinned again. "So what about_ you_ and the Princess?"

"I love her," he said. "And she loves me. Everything is perfect. Rapunzel's amazing."

"Did I hear my name?"

He turned around only to see Rapunzel standing behind him with a large smile on her face. He grinned back. "Yes. I was just telling Tom here about my favorite princess."

Understanding dawned in her eyes. He was sure that she knew it was likely Lottie's Tom. "Tom, it's so nice to meet you."

"Pleasure is mine, Princess," he said kindly with a small bow.

She smiled, and then she turned to him. "Eugene, I think it's time for our dance."

"Right," he said. He looked at Tom. "Would you please excuse me? My lady calls."

Tom laughed. "Of course. Wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your lady here."

"It was nice to meet you," Rapunzel said.

"Mutual," he said.

At that, Rapunzel grabbed Eugene's hand and led him toward the dance floor. He put his arm around her waist and took her hand. The music began to play a gentle waltz and they started to dance. He liked dancing with her; she was just so graceful. Besides, he loved any chance he got to hold her.

She smiled up at him. "So, what did you talk about with Tom?"

He grinned back. "You, me. Him, Lottie."

Her eyes started to shine. He was sure that her matchmaking wheels were turning. Probably because she wanted Lottie to be as happy as she was, with a man of her own. That's just the way she was. "There's a him and Lottie?"

"Yes," he said. "He told me that he loved her."

"Oh, how wonderful," she said softly. "Does she know?"

"No. But I said that he should tell her soon. You never know what might happen."

She nodded knowingly. "You don't have any personal experience with that, do you?"

"No, of course not," he joked. He knew she was referring to the tower, when he'd done his best to make sure that _she_ knew how he felt about her. He pulled her closer. "But just in case you didn't know already….I love you," he said in her ear.

"I love you, too, Eugene," she said.

He grinned at her, and began to lead her off the floor. After all, he couldn't kiss her in the middle of the ballroom, now could he?

XxXxXxXx

Lottie had been to enough balls in her life to settle into a certain routine. About half-way through, her shoes would begin to pinch, the nobles would annoy her, and she'd start getting that piercing pain in her left eye.

Tonight was particularly bad though and her head ached. So she searched for Mama to tell her that she had to rest for a least a little while. She finally found her talking to some man. "Mama," she began. "I-…"

Mama looked at her with a smile. "Oh, good, Lottie, you're here," she said. "There's someone I'd like you to meet." She gestured toward the young man standing next to her, and he turned around. "This is Lord Thomas McLean of Screlandria."

It was Tom! She stared at him with wide eyes, completely speechless. He was a…_.lord_?

Luckily for her, he hadn't lost all ability to speak. "Princess Charlotte," he said with a smile. "It's a pleasure." He winked at her subtly and she found herself blushing.

Mama looked decidedly pleased when a waltz started playing. "Oh, Lottie, why don't you show Lord Thomas here our waltz?"

"Ummm…." She stammered.

Tom's grin increased. "That would be lovely." He extended his hand, and she cautiously took it.

Once they reached the dance floor, he took her hand again and put one arm her waist. Her back immediately felt hot, but she liked it. He was smiling at her too, and she melted a little inside. After a few seconds of dancing, he let herself ask the question burning in her mind. "You said your name was Tom!" she said.

"It is," he said. "It just so happens you're one of the few people who calls me that."

"I see," she said, even though she didn't. She wasn't sure why he hadn't told her before. But she hadn't told him at first that she was the princess. Maybe it was the same thing."I feel bad that I didn't know who you were."

"Don't," he said kindly. "How could you have known?"

"I guess….I guess that I thought my nobility radar was better than that," she admitted truthfully. He laughed heartily. She loved his laugh. It made her heart leap.

"Well, I think your nobility radar is just fine," he said.

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't feel like it was necessary," he said. "And I just thought that you should have a friend who liked you for you."

She looked up at him, only to see a hint of….something in his eyes. "And you do?" she asked.

"Well, not quite," he said, and her heart sank. "I don't just like you. I _love _you."

Without even realizing it, she stopped dancing and stared at him. "You…what?" Did he really say what she thought he had? He….loved her? Really?

He smiled at her. "I love you, Lottie."

She just wanted to cry, right there in the middle of the ballroom. How long had she dreamed of a moment like this? Involuntarily, a tear trickled down her cheek. He loved her! Tom, the most wonderful man she'd ever met, loved her.

Through her blurry vision, she could see that his eyes stayed focused on hers. "Lottie?" He sounded very concerned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. I just-…" He stopped and cleared his throat. "Anyway, if you don't…well, I wanted you to know."

She shook her head. He couldn't think that she wasn't happy about this! "I love you too," she whispered, and even as she said the words, she knew they were true. She couldn't explain why, yet deep in her heart she knew she loved Tom. She knew it like she knew the sun would rise every morning. Rapunzel's words echoed in her mind. _When you know….you'll know. _ She was right.

A slow smile appeared on Tom's face, and he gripped her hand tighter. "Come on," he said softly, pulling her away from the floor.

"Where are we going?" she asked. But she still followed him. She had a feeling she'd probably follow him anywhere, even to the ends of the earth.

As it turned out, though, he only walked as far as the small balcony off of the ballroom. She felt rather confused. "Tom, what-…."

But all he did was put his finger to her lips. "Shh…" He smiled at her again, and then his arms were around her, and he was kissing her, gently, tenderly….She felt like he was caressing her heart.

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Like most girls, she'd dreamed of her first kiss. But it wasn't at all like she dreamed.

It was even better.

XxXxXxXx

The rest of the ball was a blur to Lottie. All she could remember was dancing with Tom, laughing with Tom, talking to Tom, having fun with Eugene and Rapunzel….and then more Tom. It was probably the best ball she'd ever been to, and she couldn't have been prouder of Rapunzel. She'd acted like the perfect princess, and Lottie had taken her aside later to tell how well she'd done. Rapunzel had only smiled, and said that she couldn't have done it without her. It almost made her entire night, but Tom's kiss had done that first.

After the ball, she and Rapunzel said goodnight to their beaus, and, as they previously agreed, went to Lottie's room to have their own little sister slumber party. They changed in their nightgowns and huddled under the covers, talking quietly.

"This was my favorite ball, by far," Lottie said to Rapunzel.

"Oh, mine too!" Rapunzel said eagerly.

She couldn't help her laughter. "This was your first one!"

Rapunzel giggled. "Yes, I guess it was. But it still was my favorite party. I had so much fun with you, Eugene,…." She glanced at Lottie. "…and Tom." She felt her cheeks heat up in the dark. "He's very nice, Lottie."

"Yes, he is." She thought for a moment, and she could feel Rapunzel snuggle into her pillow. She knew she was starting to fall asleep. But before she did, Lottie had to tell somebody about the kiss. That wonderful, amazing kiss. "He kissed me, you know," she said softly.

"And was it amazing?" Rapunzel muttered sleepily.

She smiled just thinking about it. "It was perfect."


	12. Love

Chapter 11-Love

The months following the ball passed happily for Lottie. She was finally on good terms with everyone in her family and she and Rapunzel were grower closer ever day. Besides that, she was beginning to speak up more for herself at Tom's urging, and sometimes she would say no when people asked her to do something she felt like she just couldn't handle. The first time she'd said no to Mama, she'd been surprised, but Mama hadn't said anything more. Tom had been enormously proud of her. She was fairly proud of herself too. She was finally learning to stick up for herself when she needed to. She still did plenty of princess duties, but she and Mama worked out a plan where she'd finally had free time.

She usually spent it with Tom, Eugene, and Rapunzel. Tom and Eugene had actually become quick friends, spurred by their obsession with _The Tales of Flynningan Rider _and their love for their respective princesses. Both Lottie and Rapunzel were thrilled. Rapunzel had liked Tom at once, but Rapunzel had the wonderful tendency to like everyone until they gave her a reason otherwise. That didn't happen particularly often and so Lottie hadn't been surprised when Rapunzel had immediately accepted Tom (as had her parents). Eugene was much more jaded, and he tended to be more cautious. So it had been a happy day when Rapunzel and Lottie had meet up with Tom and Eugene and they'd immediately started talking. Besides that, Rapunzel had confided to Lottie that Eugene had been lonely and she was very glad that he'd finally found a real friend.

Life was good, scarily good even, and sometimes Lottie had to remind herself that this was really her life. She truly had a wonderful family, friend, and beau. She and Tom became closer and closer every day. The months passed by pleasantly for her, and one day in the fall, Tom said that he'd like to do something special with her the next day. She agreed immediately, of course. She cherished any time she could spend with him, and Mama had quickly agreed to let her have the day to herself. In fact, Mama had a slight twinkle in her eye that made Lottie think that she more than she was telling. Rapunzel had been there too, and she'd giggled as if she knew the same secret.

But she pushed that out of her mind, and focused on enjoying her day with Tom. They walked around town for the morning, just poking in and out of shops. Then for lunch, they headed for the lake and had a little picnic. Afterward, they decided to stroll around, hand and hand. Lottie stopped for a minute to look at the beautiful leaves. Fall was definitely one of her favorite seasons, and she was enjoying the beautiful crisp day immensely. She wanted to ask him if he knew what any of these trees were. She turned around to talk to him, only to see him kneeling behind her with a soft smile on his face. Immediately she started shaking. "Tom, what-…."

"Lottie," he said. "Since the moment I met you, I knew you were special, and that feeling has only increased the more I got to know you. I love you very much, and so I wanted to ask you something." He held out a beautiful diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

All Lottie wanted was to throw her arms around him and say yes. But she found herself shaking even more instead, and she nodded her head. She hoped he understood that meant yes.

He did. He stood up and pulled her into his arms, his lips brushing her hair. She began to cry happy tears, because with her parents, Rapunzel, Eugene, and now Tom, she knew she'd never be lonely again. Her heart burst with joy.

Tom drew away, eyes concerned. "Are you okay, Lottie?" he asked. "I mean, I know you said yes, and I'm so happy about that, but you're crying and I-…"

She shook her head. "No, Tom. I'm crying because I can't believe it. I'm so glad you asked me. I've been dreaming of a moment like this my whole life, and now that's happening…" She paused and blinked. "It's a little overwhelming." She gave him a smile. "But I love you and I _want_ to marry you."

At that, he leaned in and kissed her. After several more nice kisses, he sat behind her with his arms around her. She put her own hands on his and his lips brushed her hair. "We're going to be happy, you know," he whispered. "Really happy."

"I believe it."

And she did, with all her heart.

XxXxXxXxXx

Lottie and Tom spent another hour together, just laughing and making plans. Lottie hated leaving him to get ready for dinner, but he consoled her by telling her that a day would come where they'd never have to be apart. Ever.

On her way back to the palace, she went by the garden She saw Rapunzel and Eugene sitting close to each other, talking quietly and holding hands. She wasn't sure if she should interrupt, but Rapunzel looked up at her with a questioning look on her face.

Lottie knew what the question was. She nodded, a grin splitting her face from ear to ear.

Rapunzel let out a squeal and jumped up to hug her, leaving a confused Eugene on the bench by himself.

"Let me see it, let me see it!" Rapunzel begged.

Lottie was only too happy to oblige. She held out her left hand with her ring on it.

Rapunzel squealed again. "Oh, it's beautiful. I'm so happy for you!"

By now, Eugene had gotten up and stood next to Rapunzel. Rapunzel grabbed her hand and waved it in front of his face. "Look, Eugene," she said happily. "Lottie's engaged!"

He grinned at her. "I'm happy for you, Lottie," he said. "Tom's very nice."

"Yes, he is," she said softly.

Rapunzel took her hand and Eugene's and began pulling them toward the castle. "Come on," she said. "We have to tell Mama and Papa!"

Lottie let herself be dragged, but Eugene quietly took hold of Rapunzel's hand. He walked himself to the dining room. By then, Rapunzel had managed to calm herself down slightly, and Mama and Papa came. Soon they began to eat quietly, but Rapunzel couldn't keep herself contained for long. Right before dessert, she looked at Lottie questioningly. Lottie nodded. "Mama, Papa….I have some exciting news."

"Lottie's engaged!" Rapunzel blurted.

She watched Eugene frown at Rapunzel, and whisper something in her ear. Rapunzel flushed. "I mean…."

"Is that true, Lottie?" said Mama with a smile.

Lottie felt a rush of happiness come over her. "Yes. Tom and I are engaged."

Mama and Papa both left their seats to hug her. "That's wonderful, Lottie," Mama said.

Papa smiled. "He asked me a few days ago. He's a nice young man."

"Yes," she said. "He is."

After dessert, Mama, Lottie, and Rapunzel talked over wedding plans. Rapunzel was very enthusiastic and even offered to draw an engagement portrait of them. Lottie thought it was a marvelous idea, and she agreed. They continued talking for at least another hour, and Lottie was very tired when she went to bed. But she felt happier and more content than she had in a long time.

XxXxXxXx

Lottie thought later that the months leading up to her wedding were the best of her whole life. Every day she felt so happy that everything was funny to her, and she found that those things that used to bother her didn't anymore. She didn't even notice them. For instance, Selena and Simona came to visit again, and she didn't even pay any attention to them. She was barely even aware of their presence. They could say mean things to her, and it would change her happiness. Besides, she was too focused on her relationship with Tom to really care what they said. They were growing closer and closer as the wedding drew near and Lottie couldn't help but notice that Eugene and Rapunzel were too. It wouldn't surprise her if Eugene proposed to her soon.

And her hunch proved to correct. About a month before her wedding in May, Eugene came to her and told her excitedly that he planned to propose to Rapunzel. She smiled widely when he told her.

"That's wonderful, Eugene," she said. "You both are perfect for each other.

He grinned. "Will you help me pick a ring?" he asked her.

She gave him another smile in return. "Of course I will."

The next afternoon, they went to store after store and she did her best to help him. She suggested ring after ring, and hr shook his head after every one. "No," he said. "They just don't….look like her to me."

She tried not to get frustrated. They'd been looking for over two hours! But she didn't want to yell at Eugene. He just wanted to find the perfect ring for her sister. She could understand that, but she still decided to go look in a different part of the store. "Okay. Well, I'll be looking over here. Let me know if you see something."

Lottie perused the rings, and she saw a lot of pretty ones. Yet she knew he'd probably find something not quite right with all of them. She sighed, and her mind drifted to her own wedding plans. She wondered what kind of flowers she should have. She loved roses, but it seemed everyone would have roses….

"What do you think of this one?"

She blinked. Eugene was standing there, holding out a ring. She looked at it- a small diamond with two amethysts on the side. She thought it was perfect and somehow…it looked just like Rapunzel too. She knew how much her sister liked purple. She smiled at him. "I think that's the one you've been searching for, Eugene."

He grinned. "You think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it," she said.  
Suddenly, a look of anxiety passed over his face. "Do you…do you think she'll say yes?" he said in a hushed voice.

Lottie just stared at him. Was he serious? She examined his face closely, but all she could find was boyish excitement and nervousness. He looked surprisingly vulnerable, like he wasn't quite sure if she would.

She reached out and touched his arm. "Yes, I'm sure she will," she said reassuringly. "Don't you know how much she loves you, Eugene?"

He blinked. "Yes, I know…," he said. "But marriage….it's a big deal, Lottie."

"Yes, it is," she said slowly. "But I'm sure Rapunzel would be happy to marry you." She paused and bit her lip. "I mean, do you have any reason to think that she won't?"

"No, I guess not," he said. "But I just…" His voice trailed off. "Anyway, thanks Lottie. Can I ask you something else?"

"Of course."

"I'm thinking of taking her out on a boat ride, and proposing to her there," he said. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Does a boat mean something special to you both?" she asked.

He smiled dreamily. "Yeah, it does. It's when I knew I loved her."

She smiled back at him. "Then I'm sure it's perfect, Eugene. And relax. She will say yes."

"Yeah," he said. "Thank you so much for your help, Lottie."

"You're very welcome." He started to walk away, but she felt like she needed to say something else. "Eugene?" He turned back to look at her. "I'm really glad that you'll be a part of our family."

He smiled again, one that all the way to his eyes. "Thank you, Lottie."

He walked away then, but Lottie continued to smile. She was glad that he would be part of their family, and she was so thankful to him. He'd brought her sister back, true, but he'd done something else as well.

He'd brought her a brother.

XxXxXxXx

The night when Eugene proposed to Rapunzel, he tried to keep Lottie's optimistic words in his head. But his stomach still felt tied up in knots even though the evening so far had gone very well. After dinner, he and Rapunzel had walked down to the lake and he took her on a canoe ride like the night of the lanterns. That, of course, was intentional because he was trying to recreate the night of her birthday. He'd even brought two lanterns to send up, after she said yes. He tried not to think about the possibility that she would not. Because he was rather anxious, he couldn't think of anything to say.

Rapunzel stared dreamily into the water, and he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about. She was quiet, and he knew that this could be an opportune moment to ask her. But he felt so nervous. Why did he feel so nervous? Lottie had assured him that she would say yes, so why was he freaking out? Maybe it was because he wanted her to say yes so badly.

Rapunzel caught his eye, and she smiled. "Everything all right, Eugene?"

He swallowed. "Yes, of course," he said. "I just…"

"Yes?"

"Rapunzel, I-…"

She gazed at him with a hopefully look in her eyes. "Yes?!"

_Just say it_! "Are you having a nice time tonight?"

She looked visibly disappointed. He felt the same. How could he have chickened out like that? "Of course I am, Eugene" was all she said though. "I always have fun with you."

Okay, here was the moment he'd been waiting for "Do you, Rapunzel?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she said, giving him a smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Rapunzel," he said. "And I brought you out here tonight because I wanted to ask you something."

Her eyes widened slightly. "What's that, Eugene?" she whispered.

"Do you remember the night of the lanterns?" he said. "When we sat here together just like this?"

"Yes…."

"It was then that I knew that I loved you, and it's only grown over the months that I've known you," he said. "So the question I wanted to ask you is this." He held out the ring. "Will you….marry me, Rapunzel?"

She smiled a little and took his hands. Before he knew it, she was gently kissing him.

He guessed that meant yes. His heart warmed and he felt a rush of happiness. Still, he had to make sure. "Does that mean yes?"

She giggled, then smiled sweetly at him. "Of course it does, Eugene."

He laughed, partly out of sheer relief. "I was afraid you'd say no."

"You big silly," she said affectionately. "Why would I say no?"

He could think of several reasons, but he wasn't going to let his doubts ruin this moment. She'd said yes, and he was going to marry the most wonderful girl in the world. He leaned in and kissed her again. "I love you, Rapunzel," he said softly.

"And I love you, Eugene."

Suddenly he remembered the lanterns. "Oh, I almost forgot!" He took out the lanterns, and held one out to her. "I brought these."

She smiled again, another sweet and tender one. He loved it when she looked at him like that. Hopefully, he'd see it the rest of his life. "You brought lanterns?"

He smiled too now, sheepishly. "Yeah. I thought we could send them up to…celebrate."

"That's a great idea," she said eagerly. "Lets!

At her suggestion, they both sent their lanterns into air at the same time. As they did, he couldn't help but think that as great as their relationship had been so far, the best was still yet to come.

XxXxXxXx

The next morning at breakfast, Lottie had a feeling Eugene had proposed to Rapunzel. They both beamed at each other, and she guessed that Rapunzel had said yes. But Lottie knew when to keep quiet, and she would until Rapunzel or Eugene would mention it.

As it happened, she didn't have to wait long. They had barely started eating before Eugene said something. "So we have something to tell you all."

"What's that, Eugene?" Mama asked.

"Eugene and I are engaged too!" Rapunzel said happily.

Lottie, Mama, and Papa all had the same idea. They got up and hugged Rapunzel. She looked and saw Eugene smiling at them, and she pulled him into the hug. After all, he was a member of their family too. She felt so happy for Rapunzel, as happy as she had when she got engaged herself.

Well, almost. After all, nothing could be better than that wonderful moment when Tom had proposed to her.

XxXxXxXx

_One Month Later_

Sun streamed into Lottie's room, and it quickly woke her up. She shifted onto her back, and stared up at the ceiling. _I'm getting married today! _ She giggled happily to herself. This was going to be the best day.

And it was, though she spent a fairly quiet day with her immediate family until she got read for the wedding. In the afternoon, Mama and Rapunzel helped her dress and stayed with her until the moment that she'd walk down the aisle with Papa.

About a half an hour before the ceremony, a knock sounded on the door and Mama answered. She heard her talk quietly with someone before shutting the door. She came to Lottie with a smile, an envelope in her hand.

"Here," Mama said. "You got this from Tom."

Mama handed a small piece of paper to her. She took it, unfolded the letter and started to read:

My dear Lottie,

Well, the day that we've both been dreaming about is finally here! I don't know about you, but I couldn't be happier. Yet when the time came to write this letter, I wasn't sure what to write. I could tell you how much I like the way your nose wrinkles up when you laugh, or how I always want to hear your truthful thoughts- because I know what it's in that beautiful head of yours. I could say that I can't wait to wake up beside you every morning, and kiss you before I go to sleep. Or how I eagerly await sharing every day with you for as long as I live.

I could go on and on, but all of it means one thing: I love you, now and forever.

See you at the end of the aisle!

Love,

Tom

By the time she finished, tears were welling up in her eyes. "He has such a way with words," she said softly.

Rapunzel sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't cry, Lottie. Not on your wedding day. You should be happy."

She smiled, and reached over to hug her sister. "I am happy, Rapunzel. They're happy tears."

"Oh," she said, her expression brightening. "Well, I guess that's okay then."

Lottie laughed slightly. Then she reached over and took Rapunzel's hand. She touched her third finger where she had her own engagement ring. Rapunzel had told her how much she'd liked it and Lottie couldn't help but feel a little flicker of pleasure because she'd helped Eugene. "It'll be you and Eugene soon."

Rapunzel smiled then, a soft and sweet smile. "I know," she said. "But it's your day today."

Lottie smiled back at her, and her heart burst with happiness. It _was _her day, the day she'd been dreaming about for years.

Mama broke in then. "Yes, it is, and you need to get ready! It's that time."

Lottie looked at Rapunzel. Each of them reached out and hugged the other.

"You look beautiful, Lottie," Rapunzel said. "When Tom sees you, he's going to kneel over."

Lottie smiled at that, and she followed Rapunzel and Mama out to where Papa was waiting for her. Papa smiled when he saw her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You look beautiful, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Papa," she said. But as he took her arm and they began to walk toward the chapel, she couldn't help but realize that their relationship was going to change. She'd always be her daddy's girl, of course, but their relationship wouldn't be quite the same after today. Judging by the look on his face, he knew it just as well as she did. Another man would be the center of her life instead of him. But he still continued to smile, and she smiled back. They both watched Rapunzel walk down the aisle, beaming a smile the whole entire time. Lottie felt a rush of love for her family, but more for her sister. It meant the world to her that Rapunzel-who had been lost for so many years- could be here to celebrate this day with her.

Rapunzel reached the end of the aisle, and Papa took her arm. She took a deep breath. It was time. She and Papa began to walk down, and her heart started to pound After all these years, after all that waiting, hoping, praying for a day like this, she was finally getting married. Happy tears blurred her vision, but she still could see Tom at the front of the church and Eugene stood with him. On the other side, Rapunzel was waiting with the hugest smile on her face.

At that moment, she and Tom met each other's eyes. He smiled at her with such tender affection that she wanted to cry again. She knew beyond any doubt that Tom really and truly loved her. He mouthed something to her, and she easily caught it. _You look beautiful. _

She smiled back at him with the most joy she'd ever felt. She and Papa walked closer and closer to him, and soon Papa was giving her one more kiss on the cheek. And she was face to face with Tom.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began. "We are gathered together…."

Lottie didn't catch what he said after that; she was too focused on the first thing he said. _Dearly beloved…._

Yes, everyone here was beloved to her. Dear, sweet Mama who been such a support and encouragement throughout her growing up years. Steady Papa whose gentleness and quiet strength made him a wonderful king and father. There was her sister, Rapunzel- the perkiest, happiest girl you'd ever meet, who was able to be as happier for you as she was for herself. Eugene, who she hadn't even liked at first, but he'd grown on her with his quick wit and utter devotion to Rapunzel.

And Tom. Wonderful, wonderful Tom, who would always be her true love and best friend. Since she'd met him, he'd been a great supporter, but also a challenger- he challenged her to be better than she thought she would be, and more assertive than she thought she could be. And for that she would always love him.

It seemed like no time had passed at all, but she soon recognized the signal to hand her bouquet to Rapunzel, and Tom took her hands. She heard Tom say his vows. "I, Thomas, take thee, Charlotte…."

Soon it was her turn, and she repeated them after the minister. "I, Charlotte, take thee Thomas…"

And then they were exchanging the rings, the minister was declaring them husband and wife, and Tom was kissing her.

Afterward, he smiled at her and she smiled back. She was married!

XxXxXxXx

Lottie didn't remember much of the reception afterward, only little snippets of Mama, Papa, Rapunzel, Eugene….and Tom. Everywhere and everything Tom. Tom laughing with her, Tom dancing with her, Tom kissing her…

But she did know that Mama had been pleased with the party afterward. She'd told Lottie so, just after her last dance. "This wedding was perfect, Lottie," she said. "Everything…was perfect."

"Thank you, Mama," she said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Mama gave her a smile, and then she felt Tom take her hand. "Let's go, Lottie," he said softly.

She followed him after saying her goodbyes. Once they were alone, Tom started kissing her again. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back- kissed her husband. How she loved that word.

They broke apart and he pulled her close to him. "So, I have a gift for you," Tom said.

"Oh, Tom, you didn't have to do that," she protested. She tenderly put her hand on his face. "You're enough for me."

He took her hand and kissed it. "But I still wanted to give you something." He pulled out a wrapped package and handed it to her. "Here."

She opened it, only to find a book. She turned it over and read the title. _In the Shadows. _"Tom, you finished your book?"

"Yes," he said. "But I wanted you to read it first." He looked at her seriously. "It's our story, Lottie."

She smiled up at him. "That's wonderful. I can't wait to read it."

He grinned at her. "Look inside."

Obligingly, she opened it up to the dedication page. _To my dear Lottie, in thanks for inspiring this story. I love you, my wife and my friend._

Tears pricked her eyes at the sweetness of the message, and the fact that he dedicated a book to her. To her! She'd never felt so special in her whole life. "I don't know what to say. I'm…honored, Tom. Incredibly honored." She paused. "I mean, to inspire a whole story….it's overwhelming."

"I wanted you to know how special you are to me," he said.

"I do," she said softly.

He smiled at her, and put his arms around her. "I love you."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you too."

He began kissing her again then, long and deep. "Are you happy, Lottie?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she said. "Oh, yes!"

And she was. She was happier than she'd ever been in her whole life. After all those years of wishing, waiting, and hoping, she was finally married- to the most amazing man. He was better and more wonderful than she could have imagined. She had a great family, with the best parents and the sweetest sister in the world. Soon she'd have a funny and witty brother in law, who made her sister smile.

Yes, she was happy. She'd learned to speak up for herself, to say no when necessary. She started telling the truth, even when it was hard. She'd fallen in love, with someone who was her best friend and supporter.

And with Tom around, she knew that she'd never be in the shadows again.

THE END

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

I feel it incumbent upon me to share something important about this story. Princess Charlote "Lottie" is heavily based on a real person:

Me.

Lottie is me.

I am Lottie.

Her weaknesses, her insecurities, her fears, her hopes, her dreams...are all mine. Because Lottie is so much like me, this story was a very personal one to write but I'll always be glad that I did. Her lessons were ones that I had to learn too. As for Tom, there is no one like him in real life, though I pray he'll come along soon. With that, here are some thank yous:

... to Wolfram for doing art for this story. I am so excited to see it!

...to Airplane for running the Tangled Big Bang Challenge (Which this story is a part of).

...to those authors and books who inspired pieces of this story.

...to my own wonderful sister. I love you.

...to readers and reviewers for reading. I hope you enjoyed this story.

_Solo deo Gloria!_


End file.
